


So That Happened

by PinkPandorafrog



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BDSM themes, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-03-23 11:09:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 200
Words: 99,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3765913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkPandorafrog/pseuds/PinkPandorafrog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles from Tumblr short-fic prompts. Ratings vary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Angie/Peggy

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted a place where I could keep track of these more easily!

“I hate the jerks you work with, English,” Angie complained, lowering herself onto the bench across the table from Peggy. “They don’t tip, they’re always puttin’ their hands on me…”

The sound of the door opening pulled both of their attention towards it. “Speak of the-” Angie slid back out of the booth, schooling her expression into one of friendly greeting as they helped themselves to a booth just a couple down from Peggy’s. “Hi.” She grabbed a couple of menus and took them over to the table. “Can I get ya anything to drink?”

“Coffee,” said one.

“Thanks, honey,” said the other. His expression as his eyes moved over her reminded her of the grease on the bottom of a pan of bacon. He didn’t touch her, though. At least not yet.

She gave Peggy a knowing look as she passed by for the coffee pot, and Peggy gave her a sympathetic smile in return.

Angie got them their coffee and took their order, and when she went back to drop the sandwiches off at the table, it happened. The skinnier one slid his hand over her hip to squeeze her backside. “Can you bring out some ketchup, baby doll?”

She stepped away, lips pressing into a thin line.  _I’ll get fired if I hit him_ , was her mantra as she went back into the kitchen . She barely glanced at Peggy as she passed that time, she didn’t want to show Peggy how much it bothered her.

She took some extra time in the kitchen. If he was going to be like  _that_ , he could fucking wait for his ketchup. By the time she came back out, bottle in her hand, the men were gone, and Angie could see the tip sitting on their table.

Crossing to Peggy’s booth again, she rested her hands on her hips. “You did it again, didn’t you?” She couldn’t help the smile, though.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, darling.” Peggy reached out and brushed a hand down her arm.

“Uh huh.” Angie glanced over at the vacated table. “Let me take you out for dinner tonight, I know you’re probably gettin’ tired of my cooking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jadestrellas:  
> Take a Hint (victorious) Peggy/Angie


	2. Darcy/Bruce

 Darcy balanced her armful of stuff to reach out and punch in the super secret code so she could push open the glass door to Bruce's lab. He was sitting at one of his tables, his elbow on the table, forehead in his hand, looking... Vexed? Vexed was a good word. He looked up as the door opened.

She gave him a bright wave as she moved into his space. “Sorry to intrude on you, but they've decided that now would be the perfect time to renovate Jane's lab while she's away, which means my office space, of course.” She could have gone to Tony's lab, of course, but chances were pretty good they would have ended up arguing over music or whatever. And that was the only reason. Right.

“No, it's fine.” He didn't quite _sound_ like it was fine, but she chose to pay attention to his words rather than his tone. Jane got snappy sometimes when she was balls-deep in science, too.

“You'll hardly notice I'm here, I promise.” She moved over to the other table, the one over by the wall, and deposited her stuff on it. Laptop, phone, iPod, tablet. “I carry too much shit,” she muttered to herself, hands on her hips as she looked down at it all. Well, she _had_ a case for the laptop that everything would fit quite nicely in, but of course that was locked away in Jane's lab behind construction plastic and hard-hat wearing people who gave her dirty looks.

Her iPod-holder was supposed to be for running, but fuck running altogether. It was a great place to stick it so that she could move around the lab without bothering Jane with her music. Or Bruce in this case. She tucked the earbuds into her ears and put it on shuffle as she headed over to the side of the room where the coffee pot was... empty. Well, no wonder Bruce looked less-than-pleased.

Darcy dumped the old grounds and was rinsing out the filter basket when a particularly dancey song filled her ears. And, okay, she knew better than to hum in labspace, and she was definitely no Jane, but she had a pretty decent sense of rhythm. She let her hips sway back and forth as she cleaned out the coffee pot and added fresh water to the percolator.

Bruce looked up as she made her way over to his table, and she gave him a grin as she picked up his long-empty cup and took it back to the sink to clean it out.

The coffee was ready soon enough, and she filled a cup for Bruce, doctoring it from the little tray next to the coffee maker before turning to make her way back to him.

His eyes lifted from... Had he been staring at her ass? His gaze met hers, though, and he immediately pulled off his glasses and scrubbed his hand across his eyes. He was saying something, but she couldn't hear him past her music.

She reached up and yanked the earbuds out, eyebrows raising in question.

He shook his head, eyes closing for a long moment, a sort of a pained expression coming over his face. “I was just apologizing for staring.”

“Oh.” Darcy shrugged, leaning down to set the mug on the table. “I didn't take it personally, you just sort of fix your eyes on things and let your mind go.” Even though she kinda wished she could take it personally. “Jane does it all the time, and I know she's more partial to lean ex-Air Force guys than my slammin' curves.”

He let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He really did need that coffee. She left it for him, putting her earbuds back in as she went back over to the coffee pot to get herself a cup.

Work happened. Just because Jane was off on a lecture-followed-by-romantic-weekend with said ex-Air Force guy, didn't mean there wasn't stuff to do. There was always stuff to do. And Bruce's lab was surprisingly quieter than Jane's was.

Eventually, though, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. She pulled her earbuds out and turned to see Bruce standing behind her, glasses off, coat on. His hand fell away as she turned and there was almost an apologetic look on his face. “Hey. I'm stuck. I was thinking about getting some dinner, did you want to get something to eat?”

“Yeah, totally. Just let me...” Darcy turned back to her computer and saved her file. “There.” She took the iPod holder off her arm and dropped it on the desk before closing the laptop and grabbing her phone. Her stuff would be safe enough in Bruce's lab while they stepped out for dinner. “Shit. It's cold outside, isn't it?” Not a _big_ deal, she had coats or whatever, but if she went up to her apartment to grab one, chances were pretty good that she'd run into someone who would be all, “Dinner sounds awesome!” and then it would turn into a thing. She wasn't really sure she was up for a thing.

“I have an extra coat down here you can use, if you want.”

Her eyes widened a little and she smiled. “That would be awesome, actually, yeah.” She pushed back the chair and got to her feet as he walked over to one of the floor-to-ceiling cabinets that was along the wall near the door. He opened it and grabbed a coat for her, and brought it back over.

And it smelled like him, like chai tea and red ink, and she totally _didn't_ take in a deep breath just to smell it as she put it on. Nope. “Hey, it's nice that you're a little more Darcy-sized.”

“What?” His eyebrows went up in surprise as he looked at her.

“I borrowed Clint's coat once, I could hardly walk. Of course...” She pulled it closed around herself. “My hips are bigger than yours.”

He gestured towards the door, and she preceded him out of his lab. The hall was quiet as they walked along. She hadn't checked the time, but all of the normal 9-5y people had probably gone home already. Her phone _was_ in her pocket...

Tony was coming out of his lab as well. His eyes moved over them, one eyebrow arching. “Where are we off to?”

Darcy rolled her eyes. This. “ _We're_ off to dinner. Most people like to do this thing called eating. I know it's weird, but just go with it.”

“Hey, you finally said something, Bruce? That's great! You're _way_ too old to be pining.” He dropped his hand over Bruce's shoulder as he continued past them down the hall.

Darcy looked over to see a pained expression on Bruce's face again. “Uh... Said something about what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nurselaney:  
> Darcy/Person of your choice + "Hula Hoop" by OMI.


	3. Darcy/Bruce 2

It had been a good idea in theory.  _In theory_. Darcy had been all, group bonding, physical exercise, relatively harmless… It wouldn’t be like that time she tried to organize flag football, right?

Except… She’d forgotten how competitive they all were. Every single fucking one of them. She was standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, looking around the room. Only Thor and Bruce looked relatively unharmed, and Bruce only because he’d volunteered to sit out. The rest of them…

Steve’s ribs were cracked. Nat’s nose was broken and her shoulder had been dislocated. Clint had sprained an ankle and picked up  _another_  concussion. Tony had needed stitches in his thigh for some reason, and was looking forward to dental surgery. Sam was sporting the mother of all black eyes and had fractured his wrist.

They were all avoiding meeting her eyes. “What do you have to say for yourselves?” she demanded in her very best superhero-scolding tone. Pepper would be proud. Well, after maybe Pepper killed her. But that was a worry for future Darcy.

“He started it.” Tony pointed across the room to Steve, who raised his eyebrows and pointed to himself.

“I started it?” Steve looked like he was considering getting out of his chair and going across the room.

“Hey!” Darcy yelled, and they both settled back in their chairs.

“You know, this is kinda your fault,” Tony said after another second as he folded his arms in front of him.

“My fault?” Darcy’s eyebrows climbed her forehead. “Because I was the one who decided to turn dodgeballs into lethal weapons? It’s fucking dodgeball, the worst that happens is bruised egos and hurt feelings.” Shaking her head, she let out a long sigh. “None of you are getting laid for a while.” Her eyes scanned the room until they came to rest on Bruce. “Well, you, maybe.”

She turned and swept out of the room, leaving them to wallow in their injuries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> Darcy tries to get an SI dodgeball team started...


	4. Darcy/Bucky

Bucky loved his girl. She was pretty, smart, always up for a good time. But if anyone asked, he would say he loved her mouth the most.

He loved her lips- red, deep red, the color of love, of sin. And shiny, like she’d just licked them. Didn’t ever come off, either, no matter what she did with them.

Soft, plump… They looked just as good when she was sassing back at Steve as when they were wrapped his cock, swallowing him down while she looked up at him with those big blue eyes.

And her tongue- like velvet, like candy. The things she did with her tongue… He was afraid to ask where she learned half the things she did, but he sure liked reaping the benefits.

She knew, too. She always seemed to have one of those little lollipops, sucking away at it while she gave him the most innocent looks.

Yeah, Darcy’s mouth was going to kill him one of these days. There were worse ways to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobutsiriuslywhat:  
> Velvet Goldmine (David Bowie)


	5. Darcy/Bucky 2

“Hey.”

The voice pulled Darcy’s attention away from where she’d been watching Steve and Jane share their first dance as a married couple, all adorable smiles. They’d just been introduced as Captain Rogers and Dr. Foster, and that was basically the best thing on the planet.

But Bucky was standing there, one hand easily in the pocket of his tuxedo pants- and seriously, why did tuxedos always come with pockets when you had to search the ends of the earth to find a dress with one- also watching the newlyweds.

“Hey.” She looked up at him, and it took a second before his blue eyes slid down to her. “Look, about last night…” There  _may_ have been an existential crisis that had her fleeing from his apartment at, like, two in the morning.

He just shook his head, and her words dwindled away to nothing. There was a smile on his face, and his free hand came out to her. The glove he usually wore was absent, and Darcy was glad. She slipped her hand into his, the metal cool under her fingers, and let him pull her to her feet.

His other hand settled in the small of her back. “Are we dancing?” she asked. She tried to keep her tone light, but there was a heaviness to her words. She knew he’d hear it.

“Not yet. Right now it’s Stevie’s turn. Right now, I’m just holdin’ you.”

His words eased something in her, and she shifted forward until she was resting her cheek against his chest. Fingers laced with hers, and she rested her free hand up on his shoulder. They  _weren’t_  dancing, not quite, and there was nowhere else she wanted to be. “Thank you,” she whispered into the black fabric of his jacket.

Darcy heard the little sniff that accompanied his private smiles, the ones that he just couldn’t help. “You showed me that I deserve this. Now it’s my turn.”

Insecurity and doubt tugged at her, but she silenced it before it could come out, instead nodding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bulmavegotaku:  
> Bucky/Darcy a Arms by Christina Perri


	6. Darcy/Bucky 3

“Had we but world enough, and time/This coyness, lady, were no crime.” Darcy pursed her lips and looked over at where Bucky was reclined on his elbow on the actual red-and-white checked picnic blanket. They weren’t in the park, though, they were in Bruce’s artificial greenhouse. Bucky still wasn’t too keen on wide open spaces, but that wasn’t what was bothering Darcy.

“Oh yeah?” he asked, one eyebrow twitching upwards. “What’s that mean?”

She picked up what was left of her sweet roll and tossed it at him. It hit his chest and bounced harmlessly off, and one corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. “It means I’m cranky that you won’t put out.”

It wasn’t as though they  _hadn’t_  had sex. Far from it. In fact, he’d managed to talk her out of her panties the first night they’d met. And that made it  _worse._ She  _knew_  what she was missing.But someone-  _I’m going to kill you, Bruce_ \- had suggested that they might find everything a little more meaningful if they stopped banging each other’s brains out at every possible opportunity and actually got to know each other.

Darcy didn’t see why they couldn’t do both at the same time. Bucky, however, had latched onto the idea like Tony with a shiny new toy, and he hadn’t done much more than kiss her in what were quite possibly the longest three weeks of Darcy’s life. Her boyfriend was smoking hot, both with and without his clothes on. He did that thing with his tongue that made her come in less than twenty seconds, and he had an almost scary amount of stamina. And she wanted him.

_Needed_  him.

He smiled, that sly, teasing smile that made her want to spread her legs. “I know, doll, but this is important to me. You’re important to me.” He sat up and leaned towards her, taking her hand in his. “I ain’t been serious about a girl before, not really, and I don’t want to ruin it by moving too fast.”

Darcy sighed. If it was important to him, then it was important to her. And fuck him very much for making her feel bad about it. “Fine. But you’d better start bringing me just a fuckton of chocolate. And batteries. Lots and lots of batteries.”

“Batteries?” He looked genuinely puzzled.

“Yeah. I am  _not_  giving up orgasms just because you won’t give them to me.” Speaking of… She took in a deep breath, eyeing the way his sleeves were rolled up over his arms and almost swallowed her tongue. “Yeah. I’m gonna… I’ll catch up with you later.”

She quickly tidied up lunch before getting to her feet. There had been strawberries at lunch, and watching him catch drips with his tongue definitely counted as porn in her books. She could practically feel him watching her walk out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rhiannon-a-christy:  
> Darcy/Bucky ~ "Had we but world enough, and time, This coyness, lady, were no crime." *from To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell*


	7. Darcy/Bucky 4

Darcy could feel Bucky watching her from across the room, those piercing blue eyes tracking her every movement. The hair at the back of her neck stood up and she shivered.

They were at some charity fundraiser at one of New York’s fancier hotels, everyone was all dressed up. Darcy was sporting a killer dark blue dress that emphasized her figure and a matching pair of heels. Her date for the evening was a guy named Geoff she’d met at her local coffee shop. They usually arrived within a couple of minutes of each other on their way to work- Geoff was a junior lawyer at some firm in the city.

This was their second date, and Geoff was… A little in-awe that this was actually her life. There were  _superheroes_  here, albeit dressed like normal people, and he was having a hard time coping. He was over by the bar getting a drink and trying to work up the courage to ask Sam for an autograph or a kiss or something.

Darcy sighed. She was bored out of her skull. 

A warm hand sliding over her bare upper back and made her jump. She whirled to see Bucky standing there, a bit of a smirk on his face. Of course he was. She told herself that her racing pulse was just because he’d startled her  _and for no other reason_.

“You should have been my date, I think  _Geoff_  there is workin’ up the courage to ask Sam out.” His eyes moved over her appreciatively, lingering on the little bit of cleavage displayed by the v-neck of her dress.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please.” She really wasn’t surprised that he knew her date’s name, even though the two hadn’t been anywhere near each other all evening.

He took a step closer until her shoulder was brushing against the front of his tuxedo jacket. A tuxedo jacket he looked entirely too good in- it just wasn’t fair. “I seem to remember a lot of that,” he murmured, his voice pitched low so that only she could hear him. “ _Please, Bucky_ , while I held you down and-”

“That’s not… Appropriate right now.” Still, her belly twisted at the memory, and Darcy closed her eyes for a long moment. She could feel her cheeks started to heat up.

He’d come into her office on Tuesday, she couldn’t even remember why. She _did_  remember that they’d yelled at each other a little bit, and then somehow he’d ended up fucking her across the top of her desk. It had been rough and noisy, she was pretty glad her office was soundproofed just like the rest of the building.

And she couldn’t stop thinking about it, especially at night when she was lying in bed…

“What’s ‘not appropriate’ is that I’m not pushin’ you up against the wall with that pretty dress up around your hips.” Bucky bent down so that his lips brushed against the top of her ear as he spoke.

Her belly gave another hot twist. “Bucky… We don’t even get along.” It was true. He seemed to delight in pressing her buttons until she wanted to throw things at him.

“Get along just fine when we’re naked.” His hand was against her back again, his fingertips tracing maddeningly-light patterns on her skin. “I can’t shake how good you felt. Every time I’m in the shower, it’s you I’m thinking of when I-”

“Bucky!” Darcy whispered frantically. She was pretty sure she knew exactly where that sentence was going, her face felt so warm that she was sure she was glowing. “You can’t talk about there here!”

“Then let’s go somewhere we can talk about it.”

It was a bad idea, it was such a bad idea… But she found herself nodding. Geoff seemed to have forgotten she was there, and her body was already tightening with desire.

He caught her hand, and together they headed for the wide double doors that would let them out of the large room. No doubt Bucky had already found a suitable spot…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Bucky/Darcy Animals by Maroon 5


	8. Darcy/Bucky 5

“What’s that you’re lookin’ at?”

Darcy jumped a little. She hadn’t heard Bucky walking up behind her, damn ninja. She was sitting at her kitchen table, laptop open in front of her, doing some internet shopping for Steve and Tony’s upcoming bachelor party thing.

She turned her head to look up at him, tilting the screen so that he could see it better. “Sex toys.”

He kinda squinted a little, peering down over her shoulder to see what she was looking at. “Are those… Handcuffs?”

“Yeah. I’m getting something that Steve can blush about and pass off as a gag gift, but you  _know_  they’ll use as soon as everyone’s gone.” She turned back to the computer, righting the screen, and continued her browsing.

“You can just get that kinda thing easily, huh?” Bucky sounded interested.

Grinning, she nodded. “Sure. There’s a sex store not too far from here, but this is  _way_  cheaper. Probably better selection, too.” She glanced up over her shoulder again. “You want to help me pick something?”

He sort of shrugged, but there was a definite gleam of interest in his eye. Darcy scooted the chair back and stood up, moving out of the way so Bucky could take her place. He turned the chair sideways and sat down, and she took her seat across his lap so that she was facing the computer and they could both see, leaning against his chest.

She resumed browsing, her finger skimming over the touch pad as she looked through the items.

“What’s that?” Bucky asked, his arm coming up as he pointed at one of the pictures on the screen.

“Ball gag. The red part goes in your mouth, it straps around your head. Keeps your mouth open, but full.”

The arm that was behind her wrapped around her waist, his hand coming to rest on the outside of her thigh. “You’d look real good with your lips wrapped around one of those.”

She stilled for a second, then sat up and looked over at him, eyebrows raised. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” His blue eyes were dark, intense, there was no mistaking the look on his face.

“Okay.” Darcy turned back to the computer and added a ball gag to her cart. “Uh, see anything else you like?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobutsiriuslywhat:  
> Darcy/Bucky: ball gag


	9. Darcy/Bucky 6

“Darcy?”

Darcy didn’t even look up from where she was rubbing a magnet across a paperclip. “Yeah?”

She heard Jane sigh, and then a pause. “What are you doing?”

“Magnetizing paperclips.”  _She_  thought it was pretty self-explanatory. She added the paperclip to the small pile that were already stuck together on her desk and picked up another unmagnetized one.

“Why?” There was a strain of impatience in Jane’s voice.

“Because tonight is movie night.” A glance up showed that if she didn’t elaborate, Jane might get up from her desk and come over to… Something. “And I need something to slingshot at Bucky.”

Jane lifted an eyebrow, clearly still not getting it. “Why are you slingshotting things at Bucky?”

“Because they stick to his arm.”  _Obviously_. “And your lab has the strongest magnets that still fit in my hand.”

“You two have the strangest relationship.”

“Says the woman whose happily ever after  _literally_  fell out of the sky. Literally.” Jane had the grace to duck her head and smile. “Before she ran him over with her van. Twice. Besides, it’s not just me. I just want him to know that I’m putting extra time and effort into this because I care.”

“Other people throw things at him?” Jane looked a little confused.

“Yeah. Seriously, you’re my best friend. If you had a metal arm, wouldn’t  _you_  expect me to throw magnets at it?”

Jane just looked at her for a second. “Why don’t you head out for the night? I’ll, uh…”

“Hang around for some lab sex with your actual god-slash-boyfriend?” Darcy added the latest magnet to the pile before carefully picking it up. “I’ll know you don’t clean my desk after.” She gave Jane a pointed look before turning and heading out of the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobutsiriuslywhat:  
> Darcy/Bucky - magnets


	10. Darcy/Bucky 7

Darcy look up at the ceiling with her eyebrows raised when the power went out. It was suddenly silent in the little diner without the background hum of the lights and all the electric equipment.

Steve was already pulling out his phone, swiping at it for a second before holding it to the side of his head. It was evening, not quite night yet but dark enough in the corner booth of the diner that she could barely make out what he was doing.

She reached over and rested her hand against Bucky’s solid thigh, more for reassurance that he wasn’t going anywhere than anything else. He was tense, ready, looking straight at Steve.

“Yeah,” Steve said. “Power’s out.” He was silent for a few seconds, then, “Okay.” He pulled the phone away, his face illuminated for a second before he returned it to his pocket. “It’s just the grid, no attack or anything.”

Darcy could  _feel_  Bucky relaxing a little bit, the muscle in his leg no longer quite so tight. “Good. I’m not done eating.” There was a hint of wry amusement in Bucky’s voice. They were never done eating, other one of them.

“Yeah.” Steve nodded. “You finish, I’m gonna head outside, make sure no one gets any stupid ideas.” He eased himself out of the seat and got to his feet, heading towards the front door. He didn’t have his shield, but he’d make sure that no one tried to loot anything.

Darcy made a face, pushing a fry through the puddle of ketchup on her plate. This was the first night they’d all been able to get out together for a while, and now it looked like it was going to be cut short. Because of course it was. Because that was just her luck.

Bucky’s arm was draped across the back of the seat behind her, and she felt the hard press of metal as he rested his hand against her shoulder. “I figure I got about five minutes before he wants me out there.”

“I’ve seen you eat, that’s more than enough time.” Between he and Steve, they could demolish an entire pan of brownies in about three minutes.

“I was thinking of somethin’ else…” His other hand settled on her thigh, moving slowly up towards the hem of her shorts. “First night we’ve had in a while, who knows when we’ll get out of here.”

Darcy glanced around the diner. It wasn’t exactly crowded, but it wasn’t exactly empty. “Bucky!” came out a sharp whisper, seeming over-loud in her ear.

The shadowy shape of his head came down towards her until his hair was brushing against her cheek. “No one’s gonna see, just as long as you keep quiet.”

She bit her lip, only taking the briefest of seconds to think about it before shifting her butt forward a little on the padded seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> callieco08:  
> Ship: Wintershock Song: "Blue Eyes Blind" by ZZ Ward


	11. Darcy/Bucky 8

“Why are you making such a big about this?” Darcy asked, her eyes moving over the contents of the fridge. Bacon? Probably bacon. Bacon-wrapped… bacon? “Hey, did you eat those cocktails wieners?” Because that was a heart attack waiting to happen, but it was a  _tasty_  heart attack waiting to happen. Unless… “Wait. Your friends aren’t vegetarian are they?”

She looked up to see James leaning back against the counter. He was actually wearing clothes, too, this was serious. Just a pair of dark jeans and a button-up shirt, but for him that was practically a three-piece suit. At least around the apartment. He had nerve sensation issues with clothing against the bit where his prosthetic met his skin, so usually at home he was shirtless, in a hoodie if he got cold.

His mouth twisted a little at her question and he shook his head. “No vegetarians.” He wasn’t wearing the glove he wore to hide the telltale metal of his hand. That was a good sign, at least. If these were his friends it was good that he trusted them enough that his prosthetic wasn’t a big deal.

“Good.” She turned her attention back to the contents of the fridge. “Aha!” There they were, tucked up behind the milk. She pulled them and the bacon out of the fridge. “Hey, can you get the toothpicks down for me?”

James wasn’t particularly tall, at least not compared to the other men she’d shared space with most recently, but he was still taller than her. He moved over to open the cupboard and take the toothpicks down, setting them on the counter beside her. “Why do you keep them up there if you can’t reach?” He moved until he was behind her, his arm settled around her waist.

“Isn’t that exactly what you’re here for?”

She felt his lips brush over her shoulder through her shirt. “Just, they can be a little intimidating.”

“Believe me, it takes a lot to intimidate me.” A whole lot. A whole,  _whole_  lot.

Bacon-wrapped cocktail wieners were ridiculously easy to make, filling the apartment with the smell of cooking pig. Darcy was just pulling the tray out of the oven when there was a knock at the door.

She heard James moving through the apartment until he opened the door, and then the low murmur of voices. They sounded a little familiar, but she couldn’t quite tell as she slid the hot cookie sheet across the top of the stove. They’d need a minute to cool or whatever, but she could go and say hi before putting them on a plate and getting drinks for everyone.

Pulling the oven mitt off, she set it on the counter and moved across the kitchen’s cream linoleum in her flats to see that James hadn’t gotten much further than the door. At least his friends were in and the door was closed, that was a start.

“Hey guys!” Darcy gave them all a wide smile. The expression on James’ face turned to one of bemusement as she stepped forward to collect hugs from Steve, Nat, and Sam. “So you’re the mysterious friends?”

“Wait, you know each other?”

“Come on in, guys. Although if I’d known you were coming over, Steve, I would have made more food.” She gestured them in the direction of the living room.

James caught her elbow and pulled her against his side. “How do you know them?”

“I lived at the tower with Jane for a while.” She gave him a grin before slipping away, moving into the kitchen to grab everyone a beer and pile the bacon-wrapped cocktail wieners on a plate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> I'm In Love With A Girl - Gavin DeGraw, Darcy/Bucky please?
> 
> So basically Darcy meets Bucky at some random location in town and they hook up and basically move in, and he's all, "INTRODUCE MY FRIENDS," and she thinks he means normal people, not Avenger-friends, who she totally already knows. It doesn't even cross her mind that he would mean Avenger-friends BECAUSE SHE TOTALLY ALREADY KNOWS THEM.


	12. Darcy/Bucky 9

Darcy drummed her fingers against the counter. Bored. She was bored. The power was out for some reason, maintenance on the arc reactor or something, and all of the backups were set to power important things like security and the labs. Which meant that in addition to being  _dark_  on the residential floor, it was also getting  _warm_. Tony had promised to get the power back on before it got _hot_ , but routine maintenance was pretty boring for him, and he tended to get distracted.

Which was why she wasn’t currently using one of her battery-operated electronic devices. Because she wanted to be able to use them  _later_  if she actually needed to.

It was a tempting, though, to go and poke at Jane and Bruce in the labs, but since they’d recently discovered that they both shared a love of short, shy geniuses, they might be poking at each  _other_ , and she’d seen enough of Jane’s sexlife to make her hesitate. Of course, she could just  _call_ , but that would mean going all the way back to her room for her phone.

It was full daylight outside, and JARVIS had uncovered the windows so at least they’d have some light before power was taken away from this floor, so it was easy enough to see James wandering through the shared living room towards her. His hair was pulled back and he was only wearing a pair of jogging shorts.

He looked a little surprised to see her there, and she shrugged. “It’s cooler in here than it is in my room.” Which was true. She wasn’t sure whether it was all of the shiny chrome or that it was an open area, or both, but it was definitely cooler out here than it was in her room.

“Yeah. How much longer, you think?”

She shrugged, letting out a sigh as she rolled her eyes. “Who fucking knows. Tony gets down there and it’s just so mundane for him that it doesn’t really hold his attention. Could be a few minutes, could be an hour.” He was sweating a little, that was easy to tell as he came closer. “There’s water bottles in the sink if you’re thirsty.

“Thanks.” He moved around where she was bent over resting her forearms on the counter, pulling a bottle of water out of the sink and easily cracking the top open. It was effortless for him to toss the plastic cap into the plastics recycling box, and he proceeded to drain the entire bottle, tilting his head back and letting it run down his throat.

“Wow,” Darcy said as he crumpled the empty bottle and tossed it after the cap. “That’s definitely something you should put on your resume. Did you even breathe? Or swallow?”

“You’d be surprised how long I can hold my breath.” His voice was perfectly neutral, but there was the hint of a smirk on his face.

“Oh yeah, I’ll bet.” Darcy shook her head, shifting over to bump her hip into his. He was standing close enough that it didn’t take much movement, and the smirk grew.

“No computer?” He asked after a second, still looking down at her.

“Nope. Don’t want to use up the battery in case I want to do something super exciting with it later. Bored, though.  _So_  bored.” She looked up at him for a long moment, then straightened up and turned to rest her ass against the edge of the counter. “Hey, can I kiss you?”

One eyebrow leapt sharply up. “What?”

“I’m bored. You have  _really_  nice lips.”

He seemed to consider it for a moment, then stepped towards her and leaned over until his lips were against her own.

Nope, very nice lips. Yeah. And the slight prickle of his stubble would probably chafe after too long, but for right now it was nice. She reached up to rest her hand against his shoulder, and made a face as she pulled back from the kiss. “You’re all sweaty.” She wiped her damp hand against where her denim shorts covered her hip.

He sort of snorted. “Yeah, it’s fuckin’ hot.”

“Hmm.” She considered him for a moment before turning back around to lean against the counter again. “Remind me to get back to that later when I won’t melt if I touch you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> miss-moonstone:  
> Bucky/Darcy, 52 :)  
> 52) “Can I kiss you?”


	13. Darcy/Bucky 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dubious consent! Woo! (Not in real life, though. Yes means yes)

“That’s not seriously a thing.” Darcy raised an eyebrow, looking up at Bruce from her laptop. “Like, a seriously serious thing.” The only problem was, despite the ridiculousness of the actual words he was saying, his whole demeanor indicated that it was seriously a serious thing.

Nat was behind him and she nodded. “I’ve seen it once before. It’s not pretty.”

Darcy let out a long sigh, taking another look between them before slowly lowering the screen of her laptop. “So why are you coming to  _me_?” Nat just arched an eyebrow and gave her a pointed look. “That was  _one_  time!” And then the other time at the party. And then the time after that. And then the one by the pool… “We don’t even get along!”

“I don’t think he’s expecting scintillating conversation at this point, Darcy.” Bruce took off his glasses and folded them. He looked tired, just really tired.

“And someone’s gonna be monitoring us, right?” Whether that meant vital signs or actual visual monitoring… When Bruce nodded, she sighed again. “Fine. How exactly does this work?”

Bruce sat down beside her on the couch, elbows on his knees with his hands folded loosely in front of him. Nat stayed standing, arms folded, a look of concern on her face. “Think of it like a meter. Every time he achieves orgasm, it adds to the meter. The more the meter fills, the less the symptoms are present, and then completely gone when the meter is full. However, at its most severe it also effects things like motor control, which is why he needs assistance.”

“Right. Assistance.” Another long sigh, lips pressed together. “He’s just lucky I’m nice.” She set the laptop down on the couch beside her and pushed herself to her feet. “All right, let’s do this shit. I always knew I’d save the world with my vagina.”

Bruce let out a surprised-sounding choking noise, and Nat grinned. They started walking in the direction of the elevators. “I’m serious. When I die I’m going to be a tree, and I want that shit on a plaque at the base of my tree or something. ‘Saved the world with her vagina.’ It’ll be my legacy.”

The other two were quiet on the trip down to the medical wing, which… helped, actually. Because while she and Bucky had had sex before a  _few_  times, they hadn’t really ever had sex on purpose. Okay, that one time. But that was in the cleaning supply closet at a party, and was still more of a spontaneous event than some sort of mutual activity where sex was possibly on the table. So Darcy got to fidget and be just a little anxious without having to worry about trying to carry on a conversation.

“He’s already naked,” Nat told her as they exited the elevator.

“Just go on in and saddle up, huh?” Behind her Bruce made another choking noise.

They stopped outside of one particular door. Darcy looked behind her, glancing between both of them. They weren’t going to give her an out. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Bucky was definitely naked. He was lying on some sort of hospital-y bed that really didn’t look very comfortable, covered in sweat. And hard. Like, painfully hard, it looked like. He was sort of rubbing ineffectively at his erection with one hand, looking more frustrated than anything. He didn’t appear to have noticed her coming into the room, and that worried her more than anything. Bucky was always freakishly aware of his surroundings.

Darcy quickly stripped her clothes, leaving them in a heap by the very closed door. Naked, she walked across the cool floor to the bed. “Hey, soldier, I hear you needed a hand.”

He didn’t really answer, unless a tortured sort of moan counted. She pushed his hand out of the way, wrapping her fingers around his engorged shaft.

“Darcy.”

Him actually speaking startled her, and she looked up at his face even as she worked her hand up and down. “Yeah?”

“Kiss me, quick. I need…”

“I know.” She stepped a little closer to the head of the bed, bending down to lay her lips against his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 71\. “Kiss me, quick!” wintershock please?


	14. Darcy/Bucky 11

Darcy hadn’t really talked to Bucky since she’d saved his life with her vagina. More to the point, he hadn’t really talked to  _her_. He hadn’t needled at her, hadn’t pressed her buttons until her temper got up. And that… She figured that was pretty telling.

So when the elevator doors whisked open and he was standing in the corner like a spider or something, Darcy paused. But she was an adult, right? She could do this. She stepped onto the elevator and turned to face the door.  _The adultiest_.

It was… She hadn’t really thought about the consent issues going into it, it was all just emergency save a guy’s life with her vagina. After, though, she had lots of time to think, and she realized that he wouldn’t have been able to say no if he wanted to, at least not at the beginning. Nat assured her that he had given consent for her before she got there, but he hadn’t given it to  _her_.

So that was a thing. Nat put her in touch with a therapist who’d worked for SHIELD and who had dealt with that sort of thing before, Dr. Garner. That helped.

But they still hadn’t actually spoken. And the tension felt thick enough to strangle her.

The elevator suddenly lurched to a stop, instead of the smooth you’ve-reached-your-destination glide. She stumbled a bit, hands out to steady herself. “What the fuck?” she muttered to herself. Then the emergency lights came on.

Her stomach  _sank_. Of all the people she could’ve gotten stuck in an elevator with, it had to be him.

Silence. And not, like, normal people silence with breathing and shifting and stuff, oh no. Eerie silence. Dead silence. Darcy moved her gaze as far to the corner of her eye as she could without moving her head, but she couldn’t see him. Obviously. If she could  _feel_  his gaze on her, she might have been tempted to think he was gone.

“I never thanked you-” Bucky started, voice low, but she shook her head, one hand coming out to cut him off.

“Believe me, you did. Over and over again.” Her stomach twisted in an unpleasant way.

“Not properly, though. You didn’t hafta…”

“Fuck you?” She turned to face him, her lips pressing together as she looked up at him. “I know. Especially since you didn’t actually, you know, tell me it was okay.”

“Is that what’s eatin’ you?” One eyebrow quirked. “Believe me, Darce, I was more than okay with what happened.”

Darcy sighed. “Okay, but you didn’t  _tell_  me it was okay. Consent’s, like… Consent’s a big thing for me.”

“Hey.” He pushed away from the wall, taking a step towards her. “Before you get… Like that, there’s time to sort out who… Who you want it to be.” He reached out towards her, hand hovering just over her arm without touching her. “I said I wanted it to be you. If you were okay with it, I mean.”

She nodded. He sort of held out his arms and quirked an eyebrow, and she couldn’t help but smile in return, stepping in close against him, her hands resting on her hips. Dr. Garner had told her that, but hearing it  _from_  Bucky was different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Darcy & Bucky, 67 please!!!  
> 67\. “Of all the people I could’ve gotten stuck in an elevator with and it just had to be you.”
> 
> Continues after the previous Darcy/Bucky


	15. Darcy/Bucky 12

“I just want to go in for a minute.” Darcy took a sharp right and headed towards the door of the store they were passing in front of.

She heard Bucky’s long sigh, but when she pulled the glass door open, it was only a second before his arm appeared over her head, holding it open for her. He didn’t say anything, but a glance showed back that he knew just as well as she did that it wasn’t going to be only a minute.

Whatever. She didn’t care. She went through the open door, immediately turning right. There were aisles in the way, of course, but it wasn’t long before she was standing in front of the cat center.

Coincidentally it was open, and she pulled on the door and went in, trusting that Bucky would be able to find her if he wasn’t right behind her.

There was a cat there, an adult, a beautiful calico that was missing the tip of one of its ears. As soon as it saw that she’d stopped right in front of its cage and was looking at it, it got up from its loaf and butted its head against the cage.

Bucky was right beside her, standing with his hands in his pockets, and she looked over at him. “Look at the kitty!”

“Uh huh.” He was wearing a strange sort of smile on his face.

She put her fingers through the bars of the cage to scratch the cat’s ears, and it rubbed against her hand. “I wonder if Tony has a rule about pets.” She scratched at the furry head.

Darcy looked back at him, and he shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I’m gonna tell him you dragged me in here against my will.”

She sighed. She’d seen the cat here for the past month or so, which meant that it would probably be leaving soon, and that would be… Not good. She’d grown a little attached to it. She’d purposely kept herself from looking at its little information tag so that she wouldn’t get attached, but it obviously hadn’t helped.

With her free hand, she tugged the phone out of her pocket and swiped until she was opening up a text to Pepper.  _I need a cat_. That was it. She hit send. Because Tony might object, but Pepper would probably be on her side.

It didn’t take long for the return text. “OK.” That was it. Totally taking that as encouragement to get herself a cat, Darcy let her eyes drift down to the tag. The cat’s name was Rosa, she was three.

“Hi, sweetheart,” she cooed at it. “I tried, but I just can’t stay away from you anymore.”

Bucky gave her a look, one eyebrow raised. “Does this mean we’re gettin’ a cat?”

“Uh, yeah.”

He shrugged and shook his head. “At least Stevie’s not allergic anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BuckyxDarcy 93?  
> 93\. “I tried, but I just can’t stay away from you anymore.”


	16. Darcy/Bucky 13

Darcy knew it was going to happen. She was stretched out on the couch, progressively turning Doctor Who louder and louder in defense against the rapid banging against the wall in her bedroom. Because _Steve’s_  room was directly on the other side of hers in the duplex they shared. She thought she’d lucked out when she and Jane moved into their half and realized that two  _incredibly_  hot guys were already living in the other half. It was cheap, too, which was  _perfect_  for broke college students.

Except… After being adorably awkward at each other for a week and a half, Jane and Steve had suddenly realized how compatible they were and now spent most of their waking hours that they weren’t in class trying to ram Steve’s bed through Darcy’s bedroom wall. Seriously, how did one guy have that much stamina?

And as soon as Jane had called that she was going next door, Darcy knew  _exactly_  what was going to happen. She also wasn’t at all surprised when her own front door opened and slammed shut, and she turned Doctor Who back down as the  _other_  cut guy from next door walked in carrying a case of beer. Bucky set it down on the coffee table and went to flump down on the other end of the couch.

Darcy yanked her legs out of the way just in time. He fully would have sat down right on her. “Asshole,” she told him without much venom, turning her head to look at him for a second before turning her attention back to the TV. “You realize it’s no quieter over here, right?”

“Yeah it is.” His arm came up to drape across the back of the couch. “Can’t hear Jane from over here.”

Darcy made a face. “I don’t know why they picked your place to turn into their love nest, but I’m glad they did.”

He looked over at her for a long moment, a slightly incredulous grin coming over his face. “'Cause I don’t start doing karaoke to the Dropkick Murphys right outside Steve’s door at the top of my lungs when they do?”

She gave a proud nod. “I guess there is that.” That was one of her finer moments. The pounding against the wall had stopped pretty quickly after that. “We should put a mattress  _against_  the wall in his room or something. One of the big squishy foam ones.”

“Yeah, that might work for  _you_.” Bucky gave her a pointed look.

“Yeah, well.” She shifted, bringing her knees up to her chest and settling on her side against the cushions. “Couch is pretty comfortable. It’s not like you haven’t crashed here before.” He had. They’d stayed up watching a Chopped marathon and drinking, and he’d ended up passing out on her couch. “What does Steve fucking eat that he’s the goddamn energizer bunny, anyway?” Okay, she liked Steve. She really did. He seemed like a decent dude, and he made Jane over-the-moon happy. Except she didn’t so much  _see_  him as she did  _hear_  him. Or rather, his bed. At all hours of the day and night. “And why does it have to be the bed? I’ve seen him, dude could totally fuck her up against the wall with no effort. She weighs about as much as a cat.”

There was a pause, and she looked over to see a slightly strained expression on his face. “They broke our kitchen table.”

Darcy’s eyes widened and she started to snicker. “Oh shit. That doesn’t surprise me at all. Oh my god. It’s probably good they use the bed, then, or you’d have little Jane-sized holes in your walls. Holy shit.”

He leaned forward and pulled a beer out of the cardboard case, popping the cap off before handing it to her. She took it and saluted him with the bottle, shifting to more of a sitting position so that she could drink without spilling it all over herself. It really wasn’t her favorite, but it was free beer. Free beer made everything better.

They spent most of the afternoon drinking and watching Doctor Who on Netflix. The pounding against the wall faded to a background noise so much that at one point, Darcy looked up in surprise to realize that it had actually stopped and everything was relatively quiet.

Of course, it started up again, about halfway through Darcy making BLTs in the kitchen. “I should switch rooms with her,” she announced, arms folded in front of her as she stared at the digital clock on the stove. She was waiting for the bacon to bake. “I mean, I’m sure I’ll still hear it, but it won’t be quite so much.”

“You sleep naked?”

She turned to look over her shoulder to see Bucky had twisted his head to look over the back of the couch at her. There was a look of mischief on his face, a smirk that she could only see half of, but that she was familiar enough with that she could picture the whole thing. “Usually. Why?”

“'Cause we’d practically be sleeping together at that point, the walls are so thin.” He waggled his eyebrows.

She snorted, turning back to pull the oven door open and peer inside. The bacon looked done, nice and crispy and  _flat_ , which was the main benefit of cooking it. “Bucky, we’ve slept together on my couch.” She put on her cat-patterned oven mitt and reached in to grab the hot pan, pulling it out of the oven and setting it on top. They had, too, she’d even had her head in his lap.

“Not the same. ‘Specially if you normally sleep naked.”

“More physical contact, though.” She pulled out the loaf of bread and started putting sandwiches together. She’d already cut the tomatoes, so all she had to do was pile everything together and put the sandwiches on bread.

“Yeah, but not naked. That’s what counts.”

She grabbed both plates up off the counter and moved around into the living room again, offering one to him. He took it and she flopped down next to him. “Yeah, well, next time you come over, bring tequila. It makes my clothes fall off.”

He arched an eyebrow at her, chewing thoughtfully on his bite of sandwich before swallowing. “We could get revenge?”

“Ugh.” Darcy let her head sag back against the back of the couch. “If you wanted to sing karaoke, you should have suggested it hours ago.” That sounded a little bit too much like effort when she was all sluggish from the beer. Not that making food hadn’t been effort, but food was necessary. And bacon.

“No, I mean… You seem like the type of girl who gets a bit loud when she’s having a good time.” His expression was totally serious, but there was a flicker of heat in his blue eyes as he looked at her.

She thought about it for a second. She was, she definitely was, but… “Dude, I am  _not_  fucking in Jane’s room. That’s creepy.” She shook her head, taking a big bite of her food.

Bucky gave a short, surprised laugh. “I actually have my own room. Believe it or not.”

“Not.” She shook her head again, swallowing. “Why the fuck would you be here all the time if you had your own room?”

He gave her a look. “So?” He prompted after a moment. He was actually serious about it.

“Yeah. Just let me eat first.” She leaned forward and grabbed her open bottle off the coffee table, pulling it to her mouth to have a long drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Darcy/Bucky, college AU, bittersweet by Panic! at the Disco


	17. Darcy/Bucky/Clint

The bed bounced a little, jolting Darcy into wakefulness. She pulled her head up off the pillow, blinking in the dim light. The hall light was on. And… The guys were home. Clint… Clint was on the bed next to her? Bucky was the one lowered him onto it.

Okay. This all made sense. She blinked again, peering over at them. Bucky looked… Okay. Worried, but okay. Clint looked… “Why the hell are you bleeding? Was that avoidable?” Because there were  _rules_. If Clint got himself hurt doing something that was totally his fault, he had to sleep on the couch. Darcy was fucking tired of having to buy new sheets because  _someone_  ruined them by bleeding all over them from an injury he totally could have avoided in the first place.

He reached up a hand, fingers hovering over but not quite touching the stitched-together, butterfly bandaged scalp laceration. “If I say no will you let me play with your tits?”

He was  _high_. Darcy drew a deep breath and looked up at Bucky, who just grinned at her in return. She had no idea what time it was and absolutely refused to check. It was dark outside, not that that necessarily meant anything. But this was going to require coffee.

She sighed, leaning over to give Clint a gentle kiss. “Later, okay? Your arms are really heavy when you fall asleep and it’s not comfortable for me.”

“Is that a promise?” He sort of tried to leer at her, managed it a little bit.

Darcy shifted the blankets over until they were covering the man on the bed, then got up and grabbed yesterday’s yoga pants and shirt off the floor before preceding Bucky out of the room. They left the door open. It looked like chances were pretty good that Clint was just going to fall right asleep, but in case he  _didn’t_ , she wanted to be able to hear him. 

The light was on in the kitchen, too. Squinting against the brightness, Darcy pulled her clothes on and shuffled over to the coffee pot. Autopilot had her going through the motions of dumping out the old grounds, rinsing everything out, and setting up a new pot of coffee. Finally when the comforting smell of coffee filled the room, she turned towards Bucky and looked up at him, leaning back against the counter with her hands tucked between her and the edge of it. “What happened?”

“It actually wasn’t his fault this time.” There was no more explanation than that, Darcy didn’t really want one. That was another rule. She worried more if she knew the details of what was happening instead of just the general rundown, because then she had added scenarios of exactly what  _could_  go wrong the next time they were out saving the world.

“Is he okay?”

“Concussion-” Darcy let out a sharp sigh- “scalp laceration, bruised ribs, cracked fibula-”

“How the fuck did he manage that?” Bucky arched an eyebrow at her, and she shook her head. “Nevermind. Anything serious?”

“He’ll live. Dr. Cho fixed up the hole in his shoulder before we came up.” Which totally explained why he was already high.

“Ugh. He seriously is going to be half-plastic by the time he’s 45.” She pushed away from the counter, heading over to Bucky to rest her forehead against his chest.

His arms settled around her almost automatically, but the extra squeeze he gave her told her he really meant it. His lips moved against the top of her head, and she could hear his heart beating away in his chest, still a little bit faster than normal.

“How are you?” she asked, turning her head so her words carried clearly past his shirt.

“I’m gonna need a vacation soon.” There was a slight strain in his voice, and Darcy wrapped her arms tightly around him.

“You want help with a shower?” She pulled back to look up into his face, still a bit dust-smudged.

“You don’t have to-”

“Obviously I don’t have to.” She grinned and reached up to tug gently on the ends of his hair. “But I want to. Plus I like cuddling with you and smelling your shampoo. So really, you’d be doing me a favor.”

His face broke into a smile and he nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> "Why the hell are you bleeding!?" Darcy/Clint/Bucky


	18. Darcy/Bucky/Natasha

 It started out with little things. Darcy would come back to their apartment and Sir Pouncealot wouldn't be waiting at the door for her. But he'd turn up shortly after, tail high in the air as he trotted out of the master bedroom. And she'd reach down and scratch him under the chin, and he'd purr, and it would be good.

She'd had Sir Pouncealot since he was a kitten. She'd found him, tiny with his eyes still closed, and had hand-raised him, feeding him with an eye dropper and then with cat food- the good shit, too, sometimes it had been hard not to be bitter in college that Sir Pouncealot had eaten better than she did.

Now he was a sleek, slightly fat cat who loved sleeping on her feet and purred like a motorboat. Only lately he wasn't in bed when she got up in the morning. He'd come running in to see her when she stumbled into the bathroom, though, and maybe she was imagining it, but there seemed to be a slightly guilty look on his face.

She'd been lucky enough that he'd taken to her partners, she was a firm believer that a cat was the _best_ judge of character. She'd been a little worried when she'd introduced him to James, and then Nat, but it was okay. Actually, the only person he _hadn't_ liked was Ian, and of course with how _that_ whole thing ended...

One day, though, she came home, and he didn't appear right away. And she waited by the door for a second, and he still didn't come running out to meet her. Her eyebrows drew down a little as she peered into the apartment. “Pouncy?” Nothing. He knew his name, would usually come when he was called. But not today.

She slipped off her flats, kicking them over by the wall, and moved across the carpet on her bare feet. “Pouncy?” Okay, now she was starting to get worried. Because Pouncy always came to meet her. What if he was stuck somewhere? What if he'd knocked something over and he was hurt? “Pouncy?”

She came to the living room, and James was there, watching something on TV. Cars, he was watching Cars again. Bucky was a sucker for Pixar movies. “Hey, have you seen Pouncy? He didn't come to the door.”

“Uh, yeah.” He gestured, and she walked over to the end of the couch so she could see what he was pointing at. Sir Pouncealot was curled up in his lap, pretending to be asleep.

Darcy could only stare. “You stole my cat?” she whispered, staring at the fluffy orange cat in her boyfriend's lap.

“No, he likes to sit with me sometimes.” Bucky shrugged, one eyebrow arching with clear curiosity.

“It's you! That's why he's not sleeping on me anymore, he gets up when you do!” Darcy folded her arms and glared down at the pair of them. She _knew_ Sir Pouncealot wasn't sleeping.

“Yeah, he sits and watches me on the treadmill.” He looked up at her for another second. “What's wrong?”

Just then, Nat came out of the bathroom. Darcy looked over to see the concerned look on her face. “What's going on?” she asked, walking on near-silent feet down the hall towards them.

Darcy pointed to the traitorous animal. “Bucky stole my cat.”

Nat came to a stop beside her, gave a long look at Bucky and the cat, then back at Darcy. Darcy could see her lips twitching like she was trying not to smile. “I don't think that's what's happening.”

Darcy's arms unfolded, her hands resting on her hips in a fit of restless energy. “That's what I'm seeing. I mean, he doesn't sleep with me anymore, he didn't meet me at the door today. And I _know_ he's awake, he's just ignoring me!”

Nat's hand came up to rest against her shoulder, moving soothingly against it. “He slept with you last night, I had to move him out of the way when I came to bed.”

Whoever went to bed first slept in the middle. Usually that was Darcy, just because Bucky didn't need nearly as much sleep as they did, and Nat was used to sleeping less. “But...” Darcy let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping. “He's my cat.”

“I know. But out of anyone in this room, who's the most like a cat?” Nat did have a point. Bucky had a lot of feline-ish tendancies. “I'm sure he still loves you, just maybe he wants some affection from another cat.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Bucky lifted his arm from where he'd been stroking the large orange ball of fluff and draped it invitingly across the back of the couch. “Dinner will be about 15 minutes. Come sit down.”

Sighing again, Darcy shuffled around the front of the couch and dropped to the cushion beside him. His arm came around her, hand resting on her hip, and she couldn't help but reach over and scratch Sir Pouncealot's ears. His motorboat purr started almost immediately, and it made Darcy smile.

Nat came and sat on her other side, leaning over into Darcy's side until they were all cuddling together. Sir Pouncealot shifted until his chest and front paws were on Darcy's thighs, and she kept scratching behind his ears. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

And when Darcy went into their bedroom and crawled into bed, it was only a few minutes before she felt the end of the bed shift under Sir Pouncealot's weight. He moved around before settling his furry bulk across her feet. Smiling, she closed her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Darcy/Bucky Bucky/Nat, You Lost Me by Christina Aguilara, please!! =)


	19. Darcy/Bucky/Sam

“What’s this?” Darcy looked up to see Bucky picking a paperback book up off the table and looking at it. “ _Her Sweet Surrender_?”

Oh. “Trashy smut.” She shrugged and turned her attention back to her laptop. “You haven’t lived until you’ve read about a turgid member plundering a hot, moist love cave.”

She could feel him staring at her like he was trying to figure out if she was serious or not. “Oh, come on.” She frowned at the last two words she’d written and backspaced. Jane would probably  _not_  appreciate the words “love cave” in her Science! notes. “You’re ancient, not prehistoric. I  _know_  they had trashy writing back in your day.”

Bucky arched his eyebrow at the book, holding it between two fingers like it might bite him. “A turgid member is…”

“A penis.” Sam came in from presumably the shower, and Darcy took the time to look up and follow the drops of water sliding down his body to disappear into the towel he’d tucked around his waist.

“And a love cave?”

“Vagina.” A grin spread across his face as he noticed where Darcy’s attention was. He’d probably done it on purpose, but she  _really_  couldn’t bring herself to care.

“And why can’t they just say that?” He looked back and forth between Darcy and Bucky.

“It’s not flowery enough.” Darcy rolled her eyes and shrugged again. “Honestly, you don’t read those books for the scintillating intellectual stimulation.”

“It helps me shut my brain off. Besides…” Sam’s grin took on a mischievous edge. “You haven’t lived until you’ve heard  _Darcy_  say that in her best porn voice.”

Bucky’s blue eyes swung back up to Darcy, filled with questions. She could feel her cheeks getting a little hot, and she forced herself to look away from the water beading down Sam’s abs. “I read out loud. It’s relaxing. We laugh. Sometimes it’s actually hot, and Sam plunders my love cave.” She couldn’t help the snicker that choked off the last words. “Give me about five minutes to finish this up, and I will initiate you into the beauty and wonder of historical romance novels.”

“Hmm.” He shrugged, dropping the book back on the table and turning his attention to Sam. “In the meantime…” He bent forward and licked a droplet off of Sam’s chest.

“Hey!” Darcy protested. “We’ve discussed this! No licking while someone is trying to get work done.”

“I dunno…” Bucky reached for Sam’s towel and untucked it, letting it drop to the floor. “All this talk about members and love caves has me excited.”

Darcy was laughing as she saved her document and got to her feet. Bucky was apparently determined not to let her get any work done. Not that she was complaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Darcy/Bucky/Sam with a cheesy, cliche, groan-inducing-title, romance novel.
> 
> 'Her Sweet Surrender' is just off the top of my head, but I'm willing to bet that there's at least one book with that title out there. AT LEAST one.


	20. Darcy/Bucky/Steve

Darcy dashed the tears away from her eyes with impatient hands, tearing her gaze away from Bucky’s and back to the open door.

“Darcy…”

“God, I can’t do this anymore!” she told him over her shoulder. “You two have, like, the love that fucking… transcends time or whatever. I can’t…” She’d seen the way Steve had looked at him, and while she hadn’t been able to see Bucky’s expression, it probably wasn’t any different than the one she’d seen a thousand times when he thought no one was watching. “Just… Be happy, okay. You have to be happy.”

The man was a fucking ninja or something, because before her hand could settle on the doorknob to finish opening it wide enough to leave through, she felt him grip her elbow, gently pulling her towards him.

“That’s not the answer, Darcy.” He looked almost angry as he stared down into her face, his grip firm enough on her arm that it almost hurt.

“Yeah? Well, what is, then? ‘Cause I’m sure as shit not coming up with anything else.”

His eyes were hard on hers, and then there was nothing but his mouth against hers- fierce, demanding. Just for a second, though, and then he was staring at her again, though his expression had softened.

Darcy raised her hand and touched her lips. This wasn’t the first kiss they’d shared, though the last one was long before she and Steve had become a thing. “What… What are you saying?” It was almost a whisper.

“That Steve wants us to be together. All of us.” The other hand, the metal one, lifted until Bucky was tracing a cool finger over her cheekbone. “I do too, baby doll.”

She was nodding, Darcy realized she was nodding. She saw  _that_ smirk come across his face, then they were kissing again.

“Perfect.” Steve’s quiet voice broke them apart, and Darcy looked over at the bed to see he was smiling, his own eyes bright with tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobutsiriuslywhat  
> 8) things you said when you were crying  
> Continues from Chapter 118


	21. Darcy/Bucky/Steve 2

Liasing for the new Avengers was a pretty sweet deal. Not that Darcy hadn’t been having fun following Jane all over the planet, but she figured it was time to make her own life instead of being the hashtag on her friend’s life.

One of the best things was that, with a few notable exceptions, she got to make her own hours. So the insomnia that she’d dealt with for most of her adult life wasn’t such a big deal.

Less awesome was the fact that other than an acrobatic ninja person and someone with telekinetic powers, the people she worked and shared living space with were over six feet tall.

This made late-night snack missions to the kitchen an exercise in… Well… Exercise. Darcy was fairly certain she’d done the equivalent of scaling that big-ass rock face that was in the training center at  _least_  twice.

Like tonight. She pulled one of the stools from the bar counter over next to the fridge. It wobbled a little as she climbed onto it, but it stayed up. Which was awesome. Only when she climbed from it onto the counter, it met the floor with a  _bang_.

Darcy stood on the counter, hands on her hips, staring at it. “Well, this is awkward.” Fuck you very much, falling stool. It wasn’t like she was stuck up there forever, but now the stool was blocking the immediate floor area, and she’d have to traverse the counter. At best, it would be awkward with the wall cabinets in the way- because the only reason there was really room for her where she was, was because she was holding on to the top of the fridge.

Whatever. She was up there, might as well get her drink. And why  _were_  her bottles of Cherry-Vanilla Dr Pepper up there, anyway? She was the only one who drank them, this wasn’t exactly convenient.

She pulled the bottle out of the cupboard, resting it on top of the fridge. Sighing, she looked around the room. “Fucking hell!” Startled by the sudden appearance of the dark-haired ex-assassin in the doorway, she almost fell off the counter. In a second, he’d moved across the kitchen and was steadying her with his hand around her outstretched arm.

“Careful, now,” he admonished, a trace of amusement in his voice.

“Thanks.” It could have been a little  _less_  begrudging, but whatever. She didn’t ask for one of the guys she was interested in to find her in a less-than-optimal position. “Why’s your boy insist on putting my shit on top of the fridge, anyway? I am the  _least_  likely to be able to reach it.” That was a guess, but it made the most sense.

“Sorry,” came Steve’s voice from the hall, a combination of apology and restrained laughter. She she wasn’t expecting him, either, and she squeaked, grabbing Bucky’s wrist with her free hand.

“Let’s get you down from there before you fall and get a concussion,” Bucky suggested, not bothering to hide his grin.

That would be just her luck, too. Living with superheros and getting concussed from falling off a fucking counter. “Yeah.” She grabbed her drink and looked down at Bucky, wondering how this would work.

Kicking the stool out of the way, his hands went to either side of her waist. She sort of rested her free hand on his shoulder and bent over, and he easily plucked her down off the counter, using his body to steady her as he set her lightly on the floor.

“Thanks.” Darcy looked up into those clear blue eyes. She should have moved away, but he was awfully warm, and he smelled  _really_  nice. Besides, his hands were still on her waist, and it would have been rude. Well, okay,  _that_  was a stretch. But… Still. Any excuse.

“Sorry, Darce, I’ll move those for you.” She turned her head to see Steve moving across the kitchen. He reached up and took the remaining soda out of the cupboard, then bent down and slid them onto the bottom shelf of the cupboard on the other side of the fridge, just a few inches off the floor. Yeah, there was no way she wouldn’t be able to reach it there.

“Smart ass.” But she was smiling as she said it. And who knew that  _Captain America_  was a fucking sass-master?

He straightened up and turned towards them. Blue eyes flicked over them, and Darcy became very aware that Bucky was still holding her waist. Before she could slip away, though, Steve stepped up behind her so that she had to twist her head around so she could keep looking at him. He was close,  _very_  close. “Can you stay for a minute?” he asked. “Bucky has something he wants to ask you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darcy/Bucky/Steve - "Well, this is awkward."


	22. Darcy/Bucky/Steve 3

Darcy was kitchen-dancing as she made her PB&J. She knew Steve was watching her from the doorway and had been for a few seconds, but she didn't let it stop her. Sometimes you just need to dance.

She put the blackberry jam in the fridge and tossed the knife in the sink, catching the fridge door with her foot and swinging it shut. Grabbing her sandwich off the counter, she turned to see Steve standing there with his Serious Steve expression, arms folded across his chest. Expression notwithstanding, she totally took a second to appreciate the ways his arms strained against the rolled up sleeves of his shirt. Yup.

“What's up?” She stopped dancing, shifting back to hop up on the same counter space she'd just used to make her sandwich.

“Bucky...” Steve let out a sigh, leaning over against the door jamb. “Bucky wants to watch us do a scene.”

Darcy's eyebrows flew up her forehead before drawing together as she stared across the kitchen at him. “What? He... He told you that?” That surprised the hell out of her. Because while Steve had absolutely no problem with tying her up and making her scream, Bucky was a little hesitant.

“Yeah.”

“Huh.” She took a bite of her sandwich before resting it on her knee. She needed a plate. And coffee, probably definitely coffee. She chewed through the bite of food and swallowed. “He say why?” Not that she was _at all_ opposed to the idea. The image of his eyes burning with intensity, her wrists held securely in his metal hand...

Steve sort of shrugged. “He wants to understand why you enjoy it.”

She sighed, shifting the back of her hand over the rough denim of her pants. “I've told him why I enjoy it, though.” While it would be awesome if he _did_ take part, it was okay that he didn't. They did lots of stuff together, the three of them, and sometimes just her and Bucky. He was her longstanding Pixar movie date.

“Yeah, but this way he gets to actually _see_ you enjoying it.” He shrugged it again, his broad shoulders straining against the fabric of his shirt. “I suggested it.”

“Yeah, I mean, I'm totally in. But maybe...” She took another bite of her sandwich, chewing and swallowing before she continued her sentence. “Maybe we should ease him into it. You know, probably no consent play tonight.” Her eyes narrowed a little. “Tonight?”

The smile that crept slowly across his face was heavy with promise, and it made her smile a little in return. “Yeah, don't see why not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> How about Wintershieldshock +BDSM?


	23. Darcy/Bucky/Steve 4

Darcy sat up in the bed. She opened her eyes, wincing when reality flooded in that, yup, this wasn't her room. Definitely not her room. For one, her sheets were _way_ softer than this shit. She made a face as she looked down at the nondescript cream sheets of questionable thread count. Yeah, fuck this.

Also, she was alone. The bedspread on the other side of the bed had been pushed back when the bed's other occupant had gotten up that morning. Idly, she wondered if he made his bed. Not like she was judging, she sure as shit never did. But... Probably. He seemed like the bed-making type. Military guys tended to make their beds as a holdover from the service.

She swung her feet over the side of the bed, letting them fall onto the beige carpet. She wiggled her bare toes against the carpet for a second before pulling herself out of bed. “Clothes,” she muttered.”

That was... easier said than done. They'd been a little, um, enthusiastic or whatever last night, and now her bra was... hanging from the light fixture. There was no way Darcy was getting it down, not without a ladder.

She grabbed her phone from the pocket of her pants which were, thankfully, on the floor next to the bed, and started typing out a text message.

_Hey. Can you grab my bra when you get back to your apartment? It's in your room, can't miss it._

Sighing, she hit send, and rested her hands on her hips to find the rest of her clothes. The pants were there. The shirt was... Over by the closet, but definitely low enough to the ground to reach. Her panties were on top of the dresser? Whatever.

Darcy pulled her clothes on, all except her bra which she gave another baleful look at as she stood directly under the light. At least she didn't have far to go to get to her own apartment. With any luck, she wouldn't even run into anyone on the way.

She was totally raiding the coffee pot before she left, though. She could smell the rich scent practically beckoning to her all the way from the kitchen, and she pushed her hair out of her face as she followed the inviting scent.

What- or rather, who- she saw in the kitchen stopped her cold. There was already a man there getting himself a cup of coffee. His dark hair was pulled back into a bun, and he wasn't wearing a shirt. Darcy's brain short-circuited for a second at the sight of the muscles working in his back as he slid the coffee pot back into place.

“You're not supposed to be here,” she accused, folding her arms over her chest in an attempt to tame her wayward boobs, at least a little. It was true, though, Steve had told her that James would be gone all night long, which was why she had agreed to come back here instead of heading to her own apartment. “I thought you got up early anyway.”

“I usually do, when someone's not keepin' me up all night. Learned somethin', though.” His mouth curved up into a smile that could only be categorized as _dangerous_. “About you.”

Her eyebrows rose up her forehead and she leaned against the doorless frame she was standing in. “Oh yeah? What's that?” James was... A pain in her fucking ass. It was like he existed to push her buttons. Which meant that this... This probably wasn't something she wanted to hear.

“You moan when Stevie's on top, but you make this kinda squeaky noise when he fucks you from behind.”

Nope. She was right. That wasn't something she wanted to hear. She rolled her eyes, not bothering to answer him as she moved over to where the coffee pot was. She pulled a mug out of the cupboard above it, just a plain black one, letting it rest heavily on the counter while she pulled the coffee pot out of the machine and began pouring it.

There was, like, a third of a cup of coffee. It jostled angrily as she slid it back into place, turning to glare up at James. “Did you really just steal the last of the fucking coffee?”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “Last I checked, you didn't actually live here.”

“Yeah, but you're not supposed to be here!” There was a little voice in the back of her mind that knew she wasn't exactly being rational. But he _wasn't supposed to be here_.

He rested his own mug on the counter and stepped into her until he'd pressed her back against the counter, his hands gripping the edge of it on either side of her. “Is that a problem?”

Darcy looked up at him wordlessly. She _wanted_ to say something to him, but she was acutely aware of her morning breath with a shade of fur from last night's tequila. She settled for narrowing her eyes in a glare as she tried not to concentrate on the way his pulse was hammering visibly in his throat under all that dark stubble that would feel really fucking good against the insides of her thighs.

He leaned forward until she could feel his breath against her ear, and her eyes fluttered shut. “Or is that just a problem 'cause I didn't come in and see what kind of noises you make with your thighs up around _my_ ears?”

Her belly rolled over as a flash of heat went through her. She turned her face towards him until she was breathing in the scent of what smelled like shampoo over the sharp smell of metal. His knee pressed between her legs as his lips moved against her earlobe.

“You still here, Darce?”

Steve's words pulled Darcy's head back sharply enough that she smacked it against the cupboard behind her. And James just started laughing. She glared at him as she rubbed at the back of her head, but he made no move to pull away.

Steve came into view. He looked at them for a moment, one eyebrow arching as a small smile turned up his lips. “Well, this is definitely something we should talk about.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unsociableandtaciturn:  
> "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark" by Fall Out Boy, for Darcy/Bucky/Steve? Pretty please :)


	24. Darcy/Bucky/Steve 5

Darcy loved the men in her life. She really, really did. It was why she had gone out in New York in the middle of fucking summer while the humidity made her hair puff up like one of those rabbits that looked more like a tribble.

But she had to go. Because it was a huge crowd of people, and Bucky still tended to be a little clingy around large groups of people. She’d actually spent most of the game (when he wasn’t on his feet yelling abuse at the umpire) sitting across his thighs with his hand rubbing circles in the small of her back.

The fact that they had been up in one of the fancy box things had helped (thank you, Tony). But Steve had wanted to go, and he’d turned his puppy dog eyes on Bucky, who couldn’t refuse those eyes. Neither could Darcy, really. So Bucky had told Steve he was a fucking asshole, but they’d ended up at the stadium.

And now they were waiting for some of the traffic to clear out before they tried to leave. Because in addition to just the crush of bodies, someone would be all, “OMG CAPTAIN AMERICA!” and then they’d be stuck for a while while Bucky tried his level best to disappear into the concrete flooring.

Darcy was currently sitting on Bucky’s thighs, her head on his shoulder as she nuzzled his neck. They were the only ones in the box, but Bucky’s shoulder was tense as hard as a rock under her shoulder.

Steve was on his feet, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. Whatever team they’d been rooting for had won, so he was in a pretty good mood. And Bucky promised to be, as soon as they got out of there. Steve was still holding a plastic cup of overpriced beer in his hand. Not that it did anything for him, but he’d assured Darcy that overpriced beer was a part of the baseball-watching tradition. “We should get a hot dog.”

Darcy gave him a look. Overpriced hot dogs were  _also_  part of the baseball-watching experience and several had already been consumed, but both guys had their increased metabolism, so it was a pretty sure thing that they’d be able to eat again. “Or we could go home.”

“I’ve got somethin’ you can put in your mouth, Stevie,” Bucky said, his thumb still moving in circles over Darcy’s back.

Darcy closed her eyes. Yup. This was her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Chelsea Dagger (The Fratellis), Darcy/Bucky or Darcy/Steve.
> 
> Obviously I went with both. Why choose when you can just have both? :D


	25. Darcy/Bucky/Steve 6

Darcy impatiently brushed the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand as she stalked outside, eyes so full of moisture that everything was just one big, dark blur. She hated crying.  _Hated_  it. But Bucky…

It was cold outside. Of course it was, it was November. But it was  _cold_  outside, and she was only wearing the black cocktail dress Pepper had talked her into buying. And that was a mistake. She could have grabbed any one of probably a dozen jackets on her way out, but she was just so desperate to get away that she hadn’t even thought of it.

She heard the door open and shut behind her. Not the angry explosion outside that she’d just burst outside with, whoever it was was more considerate than that. Probably Steve. Ugh. And there went the guilt she felt every time she and Bucky had a fight. Because it wasn’t fair to Steve and his stupid big sad puppy dog eyes.

She wrapped her arms around herself and stared resolutely off into the blurry night all light up by blurry lights. She was already shivering, but… Going back inside? No. There was one way out onto the freezing ass balcony, and only one way back in. Unless she was Clint.

She wasn’t Clint.

A pair of large hands wrapped a jacket around her, and Darcy grabbed the open sides of it to pull it closed. “Thanks.”

“Stevie said you’d be cold.”

Darcy whirled, impatiently dashing more tears from her eyes. Because that was not the voice of her taller, blonder boyfriend. No, that was the very man who had just fucking purposely pushed her buttons until she’d needed to get away. “What are you doing here?”

“Bringin’ you a coat.” He looked out over the city. “‘stoo cold to be out here without one.” He folded his arms across his chest. He was also wearing a coat, which was good, otherwise she was going to fucking yell at him. His muscles got really sore where his metal arm was attached when he got too cold. Still… 

“You should go inside, it’s too cold out here for you.”

His eyes, shadowed in the night, came back to her face. “Ain’t goin’ back inside without you, or Stevie’ll make me sleep out on the couch again.”

Darcy didn’t  _want_  to smile, but she basically had to. He was absolutely serious, too. Whoever instigated the disagreement had to sleep on the couch. Usually it was Bucky, although Darcy knew she wasn’t entirely innocent, either. “Fine. I’ll go back inside. But this isn’t over.”

She went to move past him, but his hand on her upper arm stopped her. “You know I love you, right?” There was a weight behind his eyes, like he wasn’t actually sure she knew that.

She sighed, looking up into his face for a long second. “Yeah. I know. And I love you too, okay? Even when I’m pissed at you.”

“Okay.” His hand fell away and he shadowed her back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> For song prompts! Wintershieldshock I Had Me a Girl by The Civil Wars


	26. Darcy/Bucky/Steve 7

Darcy sat up in bed. It was dim in the room, it was that time of morning that only super soldiers and Asgardians were up. The bed was empty besides her, both of her super soldiers were, in fact, already up.

Although… She could hear them. Low voices floated in through the slightly open bedroom door. She couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying, but the fact that they were there was a little bit odd. Because usually what happened in the morning was they got up at stupid o’clock in the morning, grabbed a protein bar or three, went and did their morning, usually with the afore-mentioned Asgardian, then came back and put on the coffee pot and went out to the common area to have a proper breakfast so they wouldn’t wake Darcy up.

She pushed her hair back from her face, squinting at the door as she tried to pick words out of the low hum. No luck. “Fuck,” she breathed. The last time the routine had been interrupted, it was because James was hurt.

She swung her feet over the side of the bed and stood up. Voices meant someone else could be out there, so she grabbed Steve’s shirt from yesterday from where it was neatly folded on the chair and put it on. Sleeping between two warmer-than-normal individuals necessitated sleeping naked, but if someone else was there, they probably weren’t up for seeing naked Darcy at this hour.

She padded out to the kitchen in her bare feet, hardly making a noise across the maroon hall closet. As she got closer, different scents beckoned. Coffee, first and foremost. But was that pre- or post-workout coffee? And something else. Something… sweeter.

Darcy was still trying to work out what it was when her bare feet hit the polished hardwood of the kitchen. Steve and James were in there already. Steve was sitting at the table with his own cup of coffee, and James was leaning against the counter. Neither  _looked_ hurt… “Is everything okay?”

James pushed away from the counter, coming over to her and resting his hand directly over the curve of her ass as he pulled her close against him. Of course he did. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “Yeah, we’re fine.”

“Did you wake you up?” A look over as she nestled herself against James’ front showed Steve with a very guilty look on his face. That wasn’t right, Steve making guilt-face was basically a national tragedy.

“Not really. I was just worried. Usually you guys don’t come hang out here until the sun is actually all the way up.” It was so nice to lay her shoulder against James’ chest and hear his heartbeat thudding away in his chest.

“Well…” Steve’s expression turned from sad puppy to a broad grin in less than a second. “You’ve been talking about pumpkin spice things for a bit, so we went out and got some.”

Darcy stepped away from James enough to look where Steve was pointing beside the coffee pot. Her eyes had refused to register it before, and even now she had to stare for a few seconds. Because beside the coffee pot was a _pile_  of boxes and bags from what looked like her favorite bakery. “That’s… This isn’t exactly what I had in mind.” Because it looked like it would take her a solid two weeks to get through all that. For three meals a day.

“You didn’t think we’d make you eat it on your own, did ya?” Bucky was smiling as she turned back to look at him. He brushed a lock of hair back from her face as he looked down at her. “But you’re always sayin’ how much better things taste when you don’t have to make them on your own.”

She looked between them. James looked a little smug, Steve had that oh-shit-did-I-fuck-up look on his face. “Thanks, guys. You guys are the best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lovethathat:  
> "This isn’t exactly what I had in mind." + wintershieldshock! [heart eyes]


	27. Darcy/Bucky/Steve 8

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Darcy demanded, glaring up between the two men who’d just broken through the wooden door like it was fucking kindling or something. It was hard to muster up the appropriate outrage when she was on her knees like that, her hands tied behind her and secured to her ankles. She tried though, feeling her cheeks heat with a combination of embarrassment and anger that was probably a lot misplaced.  _One thing at a time_. “I just called  _you_ , Steve.” Her eyes narrowed even more as she stared up at him.

He was making his way through the room to her, his bestest buddy leaning against what was left of the door, glancing between her and parking lot outside. Bucky’s eyes lingered on the motionless body on the floor, but he seemed unconcerned that the man would get up any time soon.

Steve’s lips pressed together, that muscle working in his jaw as he knelt down beside her. “What the fuck was I supposed to do, Darce? You called me in a panic, said it was an emergency. You’re pretty resourceful, if you’re callin’ me I figure it’s got to be somethin’ serious.” The Brooklyn was seeping back into his voice with his temper.

His attention shifted, he was following the line of the ropes that had already gone a pretty fair way to cutting off her circulation. She could feel the pressure of his finger as he touched them and couldn’t help but flinch, even that light touch felt like a dull saw rasping against her raw, chafed skin. Because he was right. She’d tried to get out of this, had knocked out the fucker who’d done this by squeezing her thighs around his neck until he’d passed out. He hadn’t expected that.

“Buck, knife,” came the clipped request from the man beside her.

Bucky reached down and pulled a knife seemingly from nowhere. One moment his hand was empty, the next it grasped the dark handle of a particularly shiny knife. With a flick of his wrist, the knife was arcing through the room towards them, and Darcy had to close her eyes and tell herself not to move.

She  _heard_  Steve catch it, heard the soft slap as the hilt hit his palm. In just a second he’d sliced through the ropes, and Darcy winced as she pulled her arms around in front of her, wincing as she worked painful muscles that had been stuck in one position for way too long.

“Can you walk?” Steve asked, that over-patient tone that indicated he was fighting down his temper.

She shook her head, staring intently at a spot on the motel’s beige carpet just in front of her. She _wanted_  to be able to walk, but she knew that if she tried to get to her feet she’d just hurt herself  _more_. Her feet were already starting to prickle as the blood rushed back into them, and she sagged down to the floor. It  _hurt_.

“We need to get you to Medical,” came Bucky’s voice from the door. And he _sounded_  casual, but she was willing to bet she’d see murder in his blue eyes if she looked up at him. “Stevie, we gotta go. ‘Cause he’s gonna wake up soon, and if he wakes up while I’m here, I’m gonna kill him.” Yup. Murder. Darcy was pretty damn positive that he wasn’t exaggerating.

“Gonna pick you up now, honey.” Steve pressed his dark leather jacket over her shoulders, it was large enough that it covered the black bra and panties that were all that was left of her clothes. Large hands were moving over her body, arranging her, and then lifting her easily to cradle her against a broad chest.

Darcy bit back her whimper as her muscles, her skin protested the movement. She kept her eyes closed, burying her face into Steve’s chest as much as she could. Because chances were pretty good that no one was going to be watching, this was the part of town you went if you purposely  _didn’t_  want to draw attention, but she didn’t want to see the expression on his face.

Or Bucky’s.

She heard his footsteps, heard the change as he stepped from carpet to concrete. A couple seconds later the truck door opened, and she felt him set her gently down on the long bench seat, shifting her over until she was in the middle.

She let her head loll back against the seat, trying to ignore the fire in her limbs, the dull ache in her cheek where she’d been struck hard enough that she’d probably have a bruise by the time they got to Medical.

The seat shifted and dipped as Bucky got in beside her. The door closed and there was a long silence. “What happened to you?” he asked quietly.

She sighed, refusing to open her eyes and look at him. “Bad judgment call. He seemed nice. There were warning signs, I ignored them. This was my fault. But I wanted…” How could you explain to one of the guys you  _desperately_  wanted to bang that this was the kind of thing you liked? “Nevermind.” Nope. Not happening. Especially not when she looked like  _this_  as a result. It had gone wrong, obviously, but… 

The door to her right opened and slammed with a little more force than necessary as Steve settled himself down in front of the steering wheel. She had no doubt he’d gone back to have a word with the guy, and she didn’t ask. “Darcy…”

“I know.” Her voice was small as she turned towards Bucky, snuggling into the warmth of his side, tucking herself under the rigid metal of his arm that always made him feel so secure.

“You don’t know. If this was the first time…” He let out a long sigh. “Why do you do this to yourself?”

“Because it’s the only way that I can get what I’m looking for.” Her eyes opened and she turned to look at him, wrapping her own anger around her in a way to cover up all the other unwanted emotions- embarrassment, frustration  _with herself_. It was way easier to be mad at him. “It’s not my fault I don’t have time to vet these guys more.”

He was looking at her, that muscle in his jaw working as he gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands. “You’re gonna heal up, and then we’re gonna talk about this again. And you’ll be lucky if you can walk after.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> Bucky/Darcy/Steve, "Hold Me Down" Halsey.


	28. Darcy/Bucky/Tony

Darcy eyed up the small pile of luggage as she dropped her backpack by her foot. “You do know that my duties as a Science Assistant don’t include being the resident pack mule, right?” she called at the open ramp of the quinjet, arms folding as she took it in. She’d help or whatever, but there was no way she was carting all of that around by herself.

“I think that’s me, actually,” came a familiar voice. Darcy turned to see Bucky walking down the ramp of the aircraft. “Carrier of luggage and flier of quinjets.”

“Really?” Her eyebrows climbed her forehead in disbelief. “You’re giving up your weekend for this?”

He shrugged. “I don’t mind. Steve’s off with that agent he’s been seeing, I’ve got nothing else going on. Besides, he reminds me of his father.” He motioned with his chin to where Tony was coming into view, walking directly towards them without looking up from the tablet in his hands.

“Sorry I’m late, kids. I thought I saw someone prettier than me, but I realized it was a mirror.” He glanced up at them for just a second before moving past them, headed up the ramp and into the quinjet. He emerged a second later, empty-handed. “Shall we?”

Darcy was a little relieved that she wasn’t going to be expected to carry all of it. Tony had some sort of talk to give or something and he’d borrowed Darcy from Jane. She was there to keep him organized and on task, but without actually being Pepper, Darcy wasn’t sure exactly what good she’d be. Still… She’d try.

As soon as they got all of the stuff secured on board, Tony looked between Darcy and Bucky. “I fought with them on it, but we’re only getting one room, with one bed.” He shrugged. “You guys can Jello-wrestle to see who gets to share the bed with me.”

Darcy looked over at Bucky and nodded. “Just like his father.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> I thought I saw someone prettier than me, but I realized it was a mirror - Darcy, Tony and Bucky. please
> 
> HOW DOES SHE KNOW THAT???


	29. Darcy/Bucky/Clint/Steve

Darcy’s foot jiggled impatiently. Sure the quinjet was air-conditioned or whatever, but it wasn’t exactly  _comfortable_. And it was that she didn’t trust Clint, but she kinda… Well… Just because he never  _missed_  didn’t mean he always knew what to aim for. Because she was pretty sure when he’d said, “We’re almost there,” a few minutes ago, it had been his, “I have no fucking idea where we are,” voice.

She adjusted the straps on her swimsuit and sort of pushed the towel around on her lap. She’d thought this was one of her better ideas, honestly, until Clint had decided to get them fucking lost.

So it was hot in Manhattan. And not  _just_  hot, it was humid, which made it about a billionty times worse. Because no matter how fucking awesome the central air system in the Avengers Tower was, the humidity seemed to claw its way in anyway, leaving her hot and sticky and frizzy.

Darcy had been all, “We have a quinjet! Let’s go swimming somewhere _private_  and hopefully cooler.” And Clint had volunteered to pilot, and Steve and Bucky had totally been in, which was even fucking better because, like,  _all_  of that.  _In swimming trunks_.

“Here we are.” She could not have been the only one who’d heard the relief in Clint’s voice.

“About time,” she called up to him, hands already drifting up to her harness so she could unbuckle herself.

The quinjet landed softly, but it still jolted a little. Immediately the harness was off and Darcy was on her feet. She was just about to head for the lowering ramp, but Bucky reached out and snagged her elbow.

“I know ya ain’t one for waitin’, doll, but we need to make sure it’s safe.” There was a knowing sort of sympathy in his eyes.

She made a face, but she waited, letting Steve head off the aircraft ahead of her.

Clint came through from the front, shirt already off (best idea ever, thank you) with his towel held loosely in his hand. “There’s no one here, guys. Came across this place by accident a while ago.”

“Clear,” Steve yelled from outside, and Darcy slipped free from Bucky, headed down the ramp.

“Holy fuck,” she murmured to herself, taking in the scenery. A waterfall, clear and fucking  _tempting_  cascaded down into a small pool below. It wasn’t terribly high, but high enough that even Steve would be able to stand underneath it. There were in the middle of fucking nowhere. There was a slight breeze, and Darcy just kinda wanted to never leave, ever.

Bucky let out a whoop and cannonballed into the pool, followed closely by Steve. Darcy was already dropping her towel on the ground, ready to go down after them, but this time it was Clint closing his hand around her arm.

“Let me show you the best part.” The look in his eyes had her eyebrows climbing up her forehead, and she let him lead her the dark rocks that bordered the waterfall until-

“Holy shit!” She had to raise her voice to be heard past it when it was so close. They were  _behind_  it. She could make out the blurry figures of Bucky and Steve swimming below.

“Dare you to go skinny dipping,” Clint said, eyes full of mischief.

“Okay.” Darcy dropped her towel, her one-piece following soon after before jumping through the falling water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky/Clint/Darcy/Steve Behind a waterfall  
> Now with an exceedingly smutty conclusion [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4021438/chapters/9904985).


	30. Darcy/Bucky/Steve/Wanda

Darcy combed her fingers through Wanda’s long, silky hair. She was sitting on their couch, Wanda curled up with her head on her knee, hand stroking idly down Darcy’s shin as she stared off into nothing.

It was quiet. It was peaceful. It was nice. It promised not to stay that way for too much longer, though. Bucky and Steve had gone out to get pizza and were due back any time. She was determined to enjoy this while she could.

Sure enough, not to much later the front door banged out. The two men’s voices carried through the apartment with the scent of pizza, and soon enough they had walked into the room and were standing on the other side of the coffee table.

Steve’s blue eyes swept over the two women on the couch, one eyebrow faintly raised. “Everything okay?”

“Yes,” Wanda answered. “Darcy is the most comfortable to lay against.” That was probably true, they all seemed to enjoy Darcy cuddles a whole lot. She had the highest percentage of body fat, that probably wasn’t a coincidence.

“Some of us happen to like quiet,” Darcy teased as she looked up at the two men.

“Sure ain’t you.” Bucky waited until Wanda had pushed herself into a sitting position before dropping to the cushion on Darcy’s other side. “Kept me up half the night last night ‘cause you were so loud.”

Darcy refused to feel embarrassed or guilty or anything like that. “That’s not even my fault. That’s all on Steve.”

Steve pinked a little as he set the stack of white cardboard boxes down on the table. He held his hand out to Wanda and helped her to her feet. They disappeared together in the general direction of the kitchen, probably to get drinks and plates or whatever. They could have done it while they guys were gone, but Darcy didn’t get a whole lot of time with just Wanda, and it was nice to just sit and hang out with her.

Bucky draped his arm across Darcy’s shoulders, pulling her against his side. “How come we ain’t done that yet?” They hadn’t had a night together, just the two of them, since this whole arrangement or relationship, or whatever it was called started.

“I dunno.” She pulled her feet up on the couch in front of her. “Maybe I’m not your type.”

“Yeah…” His other hand settled on her leg. “I wouldn’t worry about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> My Type by Saint Motel.


	31. Darcy/Clay

Darcy called Jolene when it was that time, because if  _anyone_  would understand, it was Jolene. Although Pooch had showed up right at the end of her actual labor, so… Not quite the same. But she  _got_ it. A lot of the whole process was spent on speakerphone. You know, when she wasn’t calling Clay.

Because Clay was in fucking eastern Europe when she went into labor. And he wasn’t answering his phone, either. Thirteen messages on his voicemail may have been a little much, she was big enough to admit that. Likewise, calling him when the baby was crowning and telling him what he could do the next time he came near her with his penis was probably also not her finest moment. And technically it wasn’t even possible. She was prepared to apologize for that. You know, after the pushing stopped.

The fact that she gave birth in the tower- thank you, Bruce- because she hadn’t realized she was in early labor while she was going through it, and apparently _someone’s_  baby had been a little impatient, was also a little unsettling.

But then she got to hold her grunting little baby boy against her and everything was okay. She spent the remainder of that day, and the following night, in the tower where everyone wanted to drop by and see the baby and bring her  _stuff_ , and then Jolene turned up with the carseat already installed and took her home.

Her  _someone’s in my fucking kitchen_  sense only seemed to grow sharper with Benjamin in the house. Which meant that when she woke up a few days later at 3:47 in the morning- she checked- and Ben  _wasn’t_ grunting for boobs, her first reaction was to groan and cover her face with her pillow. Because even though she couldn’t  _hear_  anything, someone was there. And she’d already been up twice to feed Ben, and really just wanted to sleep.

In about a minute or so, she heard the door ease open, and pulled the pillow away from her face to see Clay standing there, features barely visible in the light from the nightlight she’d started using to feed Ben by in the middle of the night. “Hey, gorgeous,” he whispered, taking in the changes to the room. His eyes moved over the bassinet and seemed to get stuck there, taking in the sleeping form of his son.

“If you wake him up, I will  _cut_ you.” Seeing the expression on his face as he looked down at his tiny boy- wonder with a touch of  _terror_ \- softened her a little. “Don’t worry, he’ll probably be up soon for more boob anyway.” A smile moved over her face, and Darcy pushed her pillow up behind her, pulling herself up to a sitting position. "How was it?”

Still looking at his son, Clay moved across the room and sat down gingerly on the bed next to her. “I’ve never wished I was home more.”

“Yeah. I missed you too.” His eyes moved over to her, a smile on his face as one eyebrow lifted, and she grinned. “Sorry about all of that. Childbirth hurts, actually. Believe it or not.” She reached out and resting her hand on his arm, and he covered it with his own. “How are the guys?”

“Good. Everyone came home.” Darcy nodded, relieved. She knew what that meant. “Don’t be surprised if Cougar and Jensen show up in a day or two to see Ben.” He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss across her lips. “How are you?”

“Tired. Apparently being a milk machine takes a  _lot_  of energy.” Ben chose that moment to start rooting around, grunting like a hungry little piglet. “Speaking of, someone’s decided it’s that time. Do you want to get him for me?”

Clay stood, moving the short distance to the bassinet. He was looking down at his son a little hesitantly, until Darcy said, “Dude, it’s a baby, not a bomb. Just pick him up.”

“Bombs. Bombs I can handle.” He gave her a wry glance before reaching gently into the bassinet and lifting the little boy out. He knew the mechanics of operating with newborns, but Darcy still had to stop herself from reminding him to keep Ben’s head supported. He  _knew_.

Darcy took the wriggling little bundle, pulling the blanket down and moving her nursing bra out of the way. Ben latched on like a champ, and Clay sat down by her again, watching her nurse their baby with that same expression of wonder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Clay/Darcy. "Dude, it's a baby, not a bomb." "Bombs. Bombs I can handle."
> 
> The same 'verse as [What You Need](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4061824).


	32. Darcy/Clay 2

Darcy opened her eyes. It was still dark. That didn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t morning… She could hear someone moving around in her kitchen and sighed. She stuck an arm out from under the blanket to grab her phone, and immediately pulled it back into the warm cocoon of her blanket. It was a little chilly out there.

She pulled the blanket up over her head so she’d be able to use her phone _and_  be snuggly warm, and turned it on. It was morning, it was in fact just before 7:00. Probably time to get up, especially if the person in her kitchen was who she thought it was.

She accessed her contact lists and dialed a number, bringing the phone up to her ear. After a second, she heard a very amused-sounding, “Hello?” both in her ear and the faint echo of it coming from further into the house.

“Hey. I was just wondering if that was you in my kitchen, or if I was actually going to have to get out of bed.” She rolled onto her side, closing her eyes, a smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

“I’m not worth getting out of bed for?” She could hear the smile in his voice, he was definitely amused.

“Or… You could bring me coffee and get  _into_  bed. That sounds way better.”

She heard the sound of something being set down on the counter, hopefully her favorite mug, the giant one with the SI logo on it. She was really going to have to ask Pepper where their merchandiser got their mugs from, because _all_  mugs should be that size. “Which part? The coffee or joining you in bed?”

“You know, that’s really a toss-up.” Her mouth opened wide in a yawn, and she pulled the phone away from her mouth for a second. “Depends on how tired _you_ are.” She paused for a second. “And what mug you used.”

She heard his snicker over the sound of the coffee being poured into the mug. “Does that mean I should switch to a smaller mug?”

“Only if you want me to get out of bed to fix your most grievous error.” His warm chuckle made her smile again. “How was it?”

“We all made it back.” The fridge opened and closed. “All of us.”

“That’s always good.” Darcy started getting that floaty feeling like she was starting to drift off to sleep and she snapped her eyes open for just a second.

“Darcy…” She snapped to full alertness again. Frank’s voice was getting closer, he was moving through her small house towards her. “Did you fall back asleep on me?”

“No.” That was obviously a lie, her voice was all thick and slurred. “That’s what the coffee’s for. And you, maybe.”

The bedroom door was pushed all the way open, and she heard him turn off the phone and then the mug was set gently on the bedside table. “You’re going to have to come out of there if you’re going to actually drink this.”

Darcy flopped over onto her other side and pulled the blanket down from her head before turning off the phone. “Hi,” she greeted, staring up at his shadowy shape in the dim light.

“Hey, gorgeous.” He was already pulling off his suit, the white shirt a relief against the darkness. “Sorry I didn’t let you know I was on my way.”

She pushed herself up into a sitting position, reaching over to rest the phone against her nightstand. “It’s okay. I’m used to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sarastark asked:  
> Darcy/Clay 6. Costumes or 20. Longer nights please!
> 
> Longer nights!  
> In the same 'verse (but earlier) as the other shortfic in this series


	33. Darcy/Clint

Why. No, it wasn’t a question. Why the fuck was someone knocking on her door at 3:42 in the morning, according to her phone.

And it wasn’t even, like, normal knocking, either. No, it was angry knocking. Maybe even frantic knocking.

Darcy grabbed her glasses off of the bedside table and slipped from bed. She didn’t even bother with a bathrobe, it was fucking hot and whoever was knocking on her fucking door at stupid o’clock in the morning could just fucking deal with her tank top and panties.

She shuffled through the apartment, increasingly displeased that the knocking didn’t stop  _at all_. Needless to say, she could feel full-on bitchy face when she unlocked her door and pulled it open. “What.”

The man wasn’t even looking at her, instead his head was twisted to look down the hall. He ended up knocking on her head. So she kicked him in the shin. She knew how to kick, too, lead with the front of your foot. Sure, now her foot hurt, but he looked like he was also in a little bit of pain as his blue eyes came back to her.

“Oh, shit.” His eyes moved over her, top to bottom, then back up, shaking his head. Obviously she wasn’t who he was expecting. That was entirely fair, she had no idea who he was, either.

Apparently, it didn’t seem to bother him, though. He pushed past her into her apartment and shut the door, pulling it out of her hands. He locked it securely behind him, stepping forward to keep his eye on the peephole.

“No, by all means, strange man with a quiver- that’s not weird  _at all_  by the way. Come on in.” Darcy shook her head. “I’m getting a cup of coffee.”

He didn’t even appear to have heard her, so she just shrugged and turned away from him, shuffling into the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee.

He joined her just about when it was done percolating on the counter, a slightly sheepish expression on his face. His hands started flying in front of him, and Darcy forced herself to focus on them.

“I’m sorry. I need to stay here for a while. I’m Clint.” He finger-spelled out his name, then showed her the sign he used. There was a resigned look on his face, like he wasn’t expecting her to know what he was saying.

Darcy finger-spelled her name for him before signing, “Start talking, asshole.” But she poured a cup of coffee for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bulmavegotaku:  
> 28) knocking on the wrong door au


	34. Darcy/Clint 2

Clint reached out and swiped his thumb over Darcy’s cheek, brushing away the lone tear that had slipped down from her eye. “Sam owes me $20.” He kept his voice down so that he wouldn’t disturb the happy couple dancing just feet away. Of course, enhanced hearing meant they probably heard anyway.

Darcy narrowed her eyes at him, resisting the urge to swat his arm. That wouldn’t be proper at a wedding, or whatever. “You bet that I would cry?”

“Sure.” He grinned at her. “Sam didn’t think you would, but I know that under all that sass, you’re a sappy romantic at heart.”

“You’re lucky you look so good in a tux,” she hissed.

He just winked at her. After a few seconds, it looked like other people were starting to join the happy couple on the dance floor. Clint offered her his hand, and she looked at it a touch skeptically. “You dance?

“It was an elective at the SHIELD academy.”

She couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, but he was still standing there with his hand out, and finally she slipped hers into it, letting him draw her onto the dance floor.

Joke or not, he really did know how to dance. Darcy’s own evenings out with Bucky had ensured that she didn’t step on his feet as he swept her gracefully around the floor.

“We should do this,” he said as he lowered her into a deep dip.

“I was under the impression that we were.” She gave him a look. “Wait, am I floating here all on my own? This is amazing!”

“Get married, babe.”

If he hadn’t been completely supporting her, there was a good chance she would have fallen on her ass. Instead she stared up into his blue eyes, completely serious for once. She was about to answer when a pointed movement pulled her attention to the side. With stopping dancing, Steve pulled his wallet out of his pocket and extracted a bill from it, handing it to his new husband. Bucky grinned as he took it, turning and winking at Darcy.

“Okay, seriously- is my entire life gambling fodder?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bulmavegotaku:  
> 9) things you said when i was crying


	35. Darcy/Clint 3

Today could have gone better. Like, a lot better. Like, it was really starting to rank up there among Darcy’s worst days ever.

But… She’d gotten the entire Accounting department to safety, that had to count for something. Accounting… Count… Darcy let out a giggle that was bordering on hysterical before clapping both hands over her mouth.

Well, one hand. The other one… Was connecting to a shoulder that hurt. Like, really hurt. Like, If she could have just removed her entire arm and left it behind, she probably would have.

She was sitting behind a desk, a heavy nameplate clutched in her hand. She’d used her TASER a long time ago, and even though it seemed like the tower was just bristling with guns, she hadn’t actually been able to find one. So, nameplate it was.

Things seemed to have died down, though. She wasn’t personally being shot at anymore, and the entire building really just seemed a whole lot quieter. That was nice. It hadn’t taken long, all things considered. Seriously- who was stupid enough to attack a tower filled with  _superheroes_  and the world’s largest security-whatever-company? 

She saw his feet first, and clutched the nameplate a little tighter until she realized that it was Clint walking towards her. He wasn’t all bent-knee slinking around like he was expecting attack, he actually seemed to be looking for her.

He crouched down beside her. “Hey.” Calloused fingertips ran along the line of her jaw as his blue eyes moved over her, assessing. “You got shot?”

Darcy nodded. “Yeah.”

“Doesn’t look too bad.” His gaze fixed on her shoulder. “Let me help you take off your shirt, we’ll have a look.”

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the most rational response, but it had been a rough day and her brain wasn’t exactly running on rational. They’d had a date, there was promise of more, and she didn’t want his first glimpse of the girls to be associated with bloody shoulder wounds.

“Darcy…” She shook her head again. “You heard me. Take. It. Off.” He pulled out a knife from somewhere, holding it easily in one hand. “I’ll help if you can’t move it. But it looks like it’s starting to clot, and if you shirt gets stuck to it…” He shook his head. “That sucks. Just…”

Darcy let out a long sigh, and dropped the nameplate on the floor beside her to let him help her out of her shirt.

Clint was all professional as he gently peeled the the sleeve away from her arm. It caught and pulled and there may have been tears and things, and a thumb brushed the wetness away from her cheek. “We should get out of here after you get that stitched up. Pizza?”

She was smiling as she nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bulmavegotaku:  
> 35) “You heard me. Take. It. Off.”


	36. Darcy/Clint 4

Clint had been talking about getting settled in for a while. He had his own apartment, of course, but probably mostly because of the life he’d had- the circus, SHIELD operative- he hadn’t really taken the time to unpack. Or furnish. Or… Anything, really.

And Darcy  _knew_  it wasn’t about her. It wasn’t a reflection of how he felt about her, or how seriously he took their relationship. It was just, he had an unpacking habit. She  _knew_  that.

Still, though, sometimes it was a little frustrating that all of their downtime together was spent either in her apartment or in the common areas of the tower because Clint didn’t really have a home to take her to.

She was sitting at her desk when a familiar shape filled her peripheral vision. She knew, even without being able to see him clearly, that Clint was standing there with his arms folded, watching her tap away at her keyboard.

“I’ll be done in a bit.” Today had been a day, and she really wasn’t into existential bullshit where she had to remind herself where her place was in the universe. Work was easy. Everything was clearly defined, there was no room for doubt…

He was silent for a second. “I have something to show you.”

Darcy made a face. Technically the work day was over, and there was nothing that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. “Fine.” Getting to her feet, she stared at the hand he held out to her for a second before taking it.

They walked towards the elevator in silence, then got on. Clint pressed the button for the residential floor, and then they were riding up. She could feel the warm pressure of his fingers between hers, and just… Wanted a damn hug.

She turned to face him, stepping forward to rest her forehead against his chest. Immediately, his free hand smoothed over her back. “I heard you had a rough day,” he said.

The elevator stopped and they got off, headed… towards Clint’s apartment? That was unusual and strange. Darcy looked at him with eyebrows raised in question, but he just glanced back and smiled, refusing to answer the question.

He punched in his code and opened the door, and they stepped inside together. She let him draw her down the little hall from the front door to the living room and into…

“Holy shit.” Her hand came up to cover her mouth as she looked around the kitchen. There was an actual dinner table, with chairs, and utensils and plates that would need to be washed instead of going in the garbage. And he’d actually put some effort into cooking with, like, pots and pans and things. “You did all of this for me?” At this point, she didn’t even care how everything tasted.

“Yeah. Got an actual bed, too.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “Maybe you can help me break it in later.”

“I am so down for that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rhiannon-a-christy:  
> 41) “You did all of this for me?”


	37. Darcy/Clint 5

“Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”

Darcy had been sleeping, like, actually sleeping, until the voice woke her up. It took a second to register what he’d said, and she flopped over onto her back to squint up at a very amused-looking Clint. “Tired,” she signed, exaggerating it into  _exhausted_. 

He grinned down at her. “You have a bed.”

“Your room is colder. I don’t know what happened, but it’s like a sauna in my room and I just can’t.” She shook her head. “I tried. I stuck to my sheets. It _sucked_.”

“So you walked through the tower naked?” An eyebrow arched as he folded his arms. She knew he wasn’t upset about it, and a small smile lingered on his lips.

“Are you high? Tony has surveillance cameras  _everywhere_.” She shook her head again, reaching for the sheet she must have kicked off while she was sleeping. “No, but I had a shower. And then I was all, ‘Well, I  _could_  get dressed…’ Spoilers, I didn’t.”

“You had a shower here?” He stared at her for a second. “You got into bed with wet hair?” She knew how he felt about it, but his bed was just so  _comfortable_.

Darcy nodded. “Come over here, I’ll make it up to you.” She reached up a hand towards him, and he walked forward until she could close her hand over buckle of his belt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> 6) “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”


	38. Darcy/Clint 6

It was supposed to be a supply run. Like, out through the desert with Jane’s beat up van, to the local grocery store. Bags and bags of groceries, which was why Darcy had brought back-up, and then back to the remote lab with everything. Yeah, apparently the old shop in town wasn’t in the right spot, so Jane had made them all move out to the middle of nowhere. Whatever.

Coulson had left them with “help,” just in case Loki (or Thor) came back. He was a nice guy, though, funny, and totally willing to carry groceries through the desert.

“Pretty sure that was thunder,” Darcy said, peering through the windshield up at the sky. It sure looked dark and ominous out there. “If it rains, I’m stopping until it’s done.”

Clint peered outside too- or she guessed he did, it was a little hard to tell for sure behind the dark shades he wore- and nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

They’d already done their shopping and were just headed home. They didn’t have too many cold things to worry about- the bar fridge in the remote lab only held so much- and stopping was better than, you know, getting caught up in flash floods or whatever.

That? That was definitely thunder. A flash of lightning arced across the sky off to their left, and then the sudden rain was deafeningly loud against the roof of the van.

“Guess it was thunder,” Darcy said, raising her voice to be heard above the weather.

Clint nodded. “Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while…”

Darcy shrugged. She undid her seatbelt and climbed between the seats into the back of the van. Clint watched her, eyebrow raised. “Storm safety. Get your ass back here.”

Watching him climb between the seats was pretty damn fantastic. He settled down on the floor beside her, legs crossed, and his eyebrow went up again as Darcy slid into his lap. “Storm safety,” she said again. “Don’t touch the sides of the vehicle, just in case we get hit by lightning. You’re pretty much in the center of the van…” That was an  _excellent_  excuse. Reason. Whatever.

He was grinning again as his arms settled around her waist, holding her against him. “Well, we’ve got some time to kill. I want to learn all about Darcy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> geekyvegan:  
> 17) “Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while…”


	39. Darcy/Clint 7

Darcy knew that long-suffering look on Nat’s face. She sighed, pushing her chair back from her desk, and looked up as the other woman came to a stop in front of her. “What happened this time?”

Nat rested her hands on her hips and gestured back over her shoulder with a jerk of her head. “His implant’s fried this time, so until Stark makes a new one…”

“Right.” Darcy turned the office chair to the side and got to her feet. She followed Nat away from her office and down the long hall towards the elevator. Neither spoke as they rode up to the floor with the medical section.

Nat nodded to the glass-windowed door, beyond which Darcy could see Clint lying on the bed. “I’ll give you a few minutes.”

“Yeah.” Darcy nodded, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. Clint was looking at her, his face that combination of defiance and whipped-puppy that she was growing to know very well. “Seriously?” she asked, hands coming to rest on her hips as she stared down at him.

He looked… Well, his upper body was covered in bandages, one shoulder and his forehead looked freshly-stitched, and that was all she could see. The rest was tucked away under the blue sheet and cotton blanket that covered him from the waist down as he lay there, propped up against about a billion pillows.

“I got you something,” he signed before pointing to the table beside the bed.

“Because you did something stupid and you don’t want me to be pissed?” she asked. She knew he could lipread, even if he couldn’t  _hear_  her.

“No, before I…” There was a significant pause. “Fell.”

“If you think-” Darcy glanced over at the table, and her words immediately died in her throat when she saw what was there.

When she looked at Clint, he was already moving his hands. “I wanted to wait until a good time, but Nat said there might not ever be a good time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honeywildandmannadew:  
> 3) things you said too quietly


	40. Darcy/Clint 8

Darcy looked down at Clint’s sleeping form, only dimly lit by the light from the bathroom in the hall. He was a surprisingly heavy sleeper, sprawled out on his front across the narrow bed. She made a face as she looked at him.

She knew this had been coming, of course, they both had. They hadn’t talked about it for some stupid reason, but it was the big thing that had been looming over their heads for as long as they’d been doing… whatever this was. Sex, obviously. More? Feelings?

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly so that she didn’t wake him up with the explosive sigh she really wanted to make. She’d half-convinced herself that this day would never come, and yet here she was…

Darcy picked up her bra and shirt off the floor. It wasn’t a coincidence that she was getting dressed a lot slower than she normally did. Stalling wouldn’t change things, though, it would only postpone the inevitable.

Even taking her time, it didn’t take long to get dressed. There was nothing else to really get ready, everything else she would need would be waiting for her.

With one final look over her friend, she turned and walked to the door. Her hand just fell on the doorknob when she heard him shift, moving in the bed behind her.

She froze, eyes shut, willing him to just roll over and continue sleeping. Her wish was in vain, though. “Darcy?” came the sleepy voice, hushed in the dark room.

She didn’t turn around, didn’t look at him. If she looked at him, there was a good chance she would start crying. And Darcy was determined not to cry. “Bye,” she whispered, and turned the doorknob, letting herself out into the hall and shutting the door behind her before he had a chance to react.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honeywildandmannadew:  
> Darcy/Clint + "Here's to the Night" by Eve 6


	41. Darcy/Clint 9

“You’re just going to walk in there?” Clint asked, eyebrow raised in disbelief.’

“Uh, yeah.” Darcy nodded, hands resting on her hips. “On my own two feet, and everything. Like magic!” She took in the doubt in his eyes. “What? I’ll have a contamination suit on, it’ll be fine.” You know, mostly. For a while. Hopefully for long enough to get the stupid alien-lust-plant out of there. Then she’d have to get out of the suit, and then… Well, she’d think about  _then_  when she got there. “Otherwise they’re going to quite literally fuck each other to death. I’m already going to have to deal with the emotional fall-out from this little… _lab incident_  of theirs, I don’t actually want to have to deal with Jane dying on top of that.”

He watched her for a moment, nodding his head just once. “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.” He started for the locker holding the clean suits.

“Oh, no. No, no, no.” Darcy shook her head emphatically. “You need to stay out here. Because when I get out of the suit, I’ll probably come into contact with some of the plant pheromone shit, and I’ll need you to, um, give me a hand. Possibly a penis. Just, you know, clear out this area and maybe that room over there so we can have some privacy. And get Maria on the ventilation controls.” She thought for a second, zipping up the front of her suit. “Hey, JARVIS, there’s a fume hood in there, isn’t there?”

“Yes, Ms. Lewis.”

“Excellent.” She lowered the helmet-thing over her head and gave Clint a glover thumbs-up before turning towards the lab door. It was glass, but she’d pointedly been avoiding looking through it. Because- yup. She’d seen Jane naked. That, however, was entirely  _too_  much of Tony’s ass, and… Bruce was hairier than she’d thought. But there was the plant, on the table, looking all fucking evil. Both fucking and evil.

Taking a deep sigh, she reached for the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”


	42. Darcy/Clint 10

The farmhouse had its benefits. One of them was the snow. It was the awesome kind of snow, too, not the salty, sandy, slushy, dirty crap that happened in the city. No, this was the good kind of snow, ready for snowmen and snowballs and that sort of thing.

In fact, there was an  _anatomically correct_  snow couple in the yard right now. Darcy rested her mittened hand on the roundness of her belly as she surveyed her work.

She heard the door open and shut, and turned towards Clint, gesturing to her snow sculpture with a wide sweep of her arm.

He stood there, arms folded as he took in the tableau before him. “Are they…”

“Having sex?” She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Is that a hint?” A grin spread across his face, one eyebrow raised as he turned his attention to her.

“We’ll say yes.” Darcy gave him an imploring look. She knew what the answer was going to be. Her sex drive had ramped up to  _unsatiable_ , and Clint was, well… He was in incredible shape, but he was only human. She didn’t ever tell him, but she kinda wished that Clint had the stamina that unborn!baby’s dad had. Still, though… Clint was around, he was making it work even though the kid wasn’t his. Love meant more than sex-marathons.

“Babe…” Half-pleading. “I love that your hormones are on board with having sex again, but it’s already been twice since this morning, and I need-” He broke off abruptly, his eyes focused on what she was doing with her hands. “Don’t you dare throw that snowba-” The loose ball of snow splattered against the side of his head. “Goddammit.” He looked at her, snow falling thickly from his head until Darcy started giggling. That, apparently, was enough to make him smile too. “Come on inside. Get warmed up and I’ll go down on you until you’ve had enough.” He seemed to think for a second. “At least… For a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> “Don’t you dare throw that snowba-, goddammit!”
> 
> This happens in the middle of "All I Want To Do."


	43. Darcy/Clint 11

Darcy walked into the bedroom, hands on her hips, and stared down at the bed. The blanket was still all rumpled on her side, but the other side was a mound. A mound that was still snoring a little. Clint would deny that he snored until he was blue in the face, and she and Nat would just exchange a Look.

It was about 10:00. Usually Clint was an early riser, but they’d been out a little late last night. Tony had insisted, because Darcy had planned a ‘just the two of us’ kind of evening for Clint’s actual birthday.

But it was 10:00. Darcy was bored. She ran over to the bed and dove onto it, bouncing a little.

Clint bolted upright. “I’m awake!” he insisted, rubbing his hand over his face as Darcy cackled. His attention turned to her, squinting a little in his sleepy haze. “What time is it?” The words were slurred a little.

“10:00. Happy birthday, old man.” She grinned at him.

He flopped back on the bed and pulled his pillow over his face. “Can we pretend it’s NOT my birthday? I’m old.” The pillow was pulled down until just his eyes were peeking out over the top. “You’re not even thirty yet, are you?”

She just grinned and shook her head, and the blue eyes disappeared back under the pillow. She waited a couple of seconds, but he didn’t emerge again. “Fine. No birthday means no presents, though. It’s a shame, I had it custom-fitted and everything.” Darcy gave a theatrical shrug and bounced back off the bed. “You’ve been talking about it for  _months_  now, but since you don’t want it…” Turning, she headed back out of their bedroom.

She stopped just outside the door and pressed herself back against the wall. There was a second of silence, then, “Darcy?” The rustle of bedclothes. “Darcy, wait.” The unmistakable thud as he got all tangled up and hit the floor. “Shit! Darcy!”

Giggling, she beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bookishbeauty13:  
> Clint/Darcy- “Can we pretend it’s NOT my birthday?”


	44. Darcy/Clint 12

“We’re just going to look.” Yeah, okay. Famous last words. And really, Darcy knew better. But… It made her feel better about it, especially given the look Clint was giving her.

It was his house. Sure she was living there and she was his domestic partner or whatever, but it was still his house. He was rarely there, though, and she was getting awfully lonely just talking to her gigantic belly all the time.

He pulled the truck up to the county ASPCA. It had been a little bit of a drive- the drawback of living out in the middle of nowhere, going anywhere was an actual adventure. Opening the door revealed the noise common to animal shelters of all varieties- dogs barking and making noise.

They were there to get- look at- a cat. Darcy had thrown in that a cat would be able to help keep the mouse population down when it got to be a little warmer out. There were bound to be mice.

Clint moved quickly around the truck to wrap his arm around her. He tried to make it look like he was just being affectionate, but she knew that he was just making sure she didn’t slip. There were still patches of frozen ground in the shade, and he was… protective. She tried not to be irritated by it, she really did, but everything seemed to irritate her lately.

He opened the door for her, and they moved into the building. There was one person sitting at the front counter, who greeted them with a smile and asked if they were looking for anything specific. Darcy let Clint do the talking, walking towards the door that was labeled “dogs.” The barking was noticeably louder inside, even moreso when she pulled the door open.

This was the other way she’d talked Clint into it. She could look at cats, if he could look at dogs.

She heard his boots on the concrete floor behind her and held the door open for him, continuing forward when she felt him take the weight of it.

He stepped up beside her and took her hand as they walked through among the dog-occupied kennels.

“Hey,” he said, tugging on her hand, pulling her to a stop. “Get a load of that dog.”

Darcy obligingly turned to look. She let out a sigh as she saw a dog that was that was the epitome of mutt. It was kinda beige in color and it was missing an eye. A look over showed that Clint was already well on his way to falling in love with the thing, and she had to smile, her heart filling with tenderness. Clint had a ‘secret’ care-taking habit, it was one of the things she loved about him. “I guess we’re getting a dog.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nemhaine42:  
> Clint x Darcy, "get a load of that dog"
> 
> This is shortly after Chapter 42


	45. Darcy/Clint 13

“Do I really hold my alcohol better than you? You must be getting old.” Darcy asked, squinting at the tall blond beside her. Not that she was really sober either. Nope. They were sort of supporting each other as they made their way down the hall to someone’s room. Whoever’s room was closer. Probably his. “God, you’re heavy. Why the fuck arm your arms so heavy, anyway?” She blinked. That didn’t quite sound right.

“You stare at my arms all the time.”

That was an excellent point, actually. “I do. I really do.” She thought for a second. “Hey. Hey, Clint. Hey.”

“What?” They sort of lurched to a stop in front of a door and he jabbed at the thumb with his thumb. It took him a couple of second, but he got it right on the little pad. Nothing happened.

“If I may, Mr. Barton, your apartment is the next one down.” JARVIS sounded… Long-suffering.

“This must be Nat’s room.” A look up showed Clint was frowning at the door like it had done something to personally offend him.

“She’s not home.” She wasn’t, in fact, home. She was still upstairs.

“Huh.” He turned them and they sort of got moving again. 

They only made a few steps, though. Clint was resting the entirety of his weight across Darcy’s shoulders, or that’s what it felt like, and she just stopped walking and sat her ass down in the middle of the hallway. He sort of fell down on top her. It wasn’t exactly comfortable… But she could breathe and nothing felt terribly bruised. It would do for a while.

He shifted until he was looking down into her face, one eyebrow arched with what could only be described as a leer on his face. “You’re soft. This is nice.”

“Oof. You’re not.” She wiggled. Everything still moved, nothing felt like it was falling asleep. At least, you know, not yet.

“Do  _that_ again.” The leer  _intensified_.

She sort of pushed at his shoulder, not that it really did anything. He really did have heavy arms. “Hey.” She looked up into his blue-gray eyes, so close. Closer than they usually were. “You’ve got pretty eyes.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Can I tell you a secret?” She nodded, unable to look away from his  _very_  pretty eyes. “You do too.”

“Are we, uh… What are we doing?” Steve sounded a little amused. Darcy couldn’t  _see_  him, but he was somewhere up the hall, up there like he was standing or something. “You guys need a hand?”

“Probably. Clint’s heavy.”

In just a second, Clint’s weight was lifted off of her. Steve propped him up against the wall, which was much better at holding him up than she was. A large hand extended down to her and she grabbed at it. Steve hauled her to her feet and she sort of stumbled against him before he passed her along to Clint. “You guys gonna make it?”

That was debatable. But they did. Clint’s door wasn’t  _that_  far away. And this time when he jammed his thumb at the unlock thing, the door actually opened. The door opened suddenly, though, and in a very off-balancing way. This time Darcy ended up on top of the heap, and this was much more comfortable.

She snuggled down on Clint’s chest and closed her eyes. “I’m totally staying here for the night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unwillinglyable:  
> "Can I tell you a secret?”


	46. Darcy/Clint 14

Darcy awoke to someone running a finger down the sole of her foot. She kicked out in their general direction and heard a familiar chuckle. “Clint, what the fuck?” Her words slurred together with sleep.

“I was lonely. And then I remembered you were here all warm, all by yourself…” The fingers settled on her ankle, this time sliding up along her bare calf. “Plus you keep the good shit in your freezer.”

She flopped over onto her back and squinted up at him. He’d left the hall light on, and judging by the container in his other hand the kitchen light was probably on too. “Who the fuck crawls through someone’s window at 4 AM for ice cream?” She was guessing about the time, no clue as to what time it actually was.

“Only partly for ice cream.” His hand had reached her knee, but he was going to have to stop soon if the spoon sticking out of the top of the container was any indication.

She pulled her leg further under the blanket, away from his hand. “That explains why you’re in here instead of in the kitchen with that. Just…” She rolled back onto her side, curling up sort of around her pillow. “Make sure it gets back in the kitchen tonight.”

“Uh uh.” Clint moved up along the side of the bed to sit down by her back, the mattress shifting until she rolled back against him. “I can’t eat all this by myself.”

“Clint…” She turned to look up at him. He was grinning, and she couldn’t help but smile. “What about sleep? I love sleep. Sleep loves me!”

He dipped the spoon into the ice cream and held it up with one eyebrow raised. Darcy sighed. She shifted back up against the headboard and ate the ice cream off the spoon, then settled the blankets up over her breasts.

“Why do I go along with these crazy ideas of yours?” she asked after swallowing her ice cream.

“Because you love me more than sleep?” He helped himself to a bite of ice cream and passed her the spoon.

She considered him for a second. “Try again.”

“My tongue?” He took the spoon back after she had a bite. “My fingers?”

“Mm.” She swallowed. “I was thinking more that you make me laugh, but that too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lark-cale:  
> 53 Clint/Darcy  
> 53\. “Who crawls through someone’s window at 4am to go for ice cream?!”


	47. Darcy/Clint 15

“Okay.” Darcy lifted her glass off the table and drained it, making yuck face as she lowered it back to the wooden surface. There’d been a little more at the bottom than she thought there would be. Oops. “I’m gonna do it.”

Nat, awesome wingman and drinking buddy, was smiling. Smirking? Something. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Like maybe  _she_  didn’t think it was a such a good idea.

“Uh, yeah. I don’t know what the view’s like from  _your_  side of the table, but he’s been bending over to take his shots all night long and, um, it’s nice.” Darcy nodded emphatically, her eyes fixed on her intended target. “It’s real nice.”

“Give me your phone.” Darcy looked back over at the redhead across the table, eyes wide in question. Nat merely arched an eyebrow. “I mean it. Give me your phone. Because last time you did something like this you asked me to make sure that you didn’t post any incriminating selfies.”

She had, hadn’t she? Darcy pulled her phone out of her pocket and slid it across the table. In a second it was gone, like Nat had done some sort of magic trick or something. 

She adjusted her shirt, pulling the neckline down just a little. “Okay. How do my boobs look?”

Nat’s blue-green eyes obligingly dropped to her cleavage. “Like he could smother in them.”

“Excellent.” Darcy slid out of the booth and got to her feet, stumbling just a little before making more-or-less a straight path over to where Clint was standing by the pool table with his own beer. She stumbled again, catching herself on his arm. Which was… Really nice, actually. Like, really nice. She always forgot how nice Clint’s arms really were. “Hey.”

“Hi there.” He looked down at her for a second. “You okay?”

“Sure. Just… Shoes.” Still holding his arm for balance she picked up her feet one at a time and pulled her heels off, stepping down onto the cool floor on her bare feet. Only she wasn’t expecting there to be quite so much distance between her heel and the floor, and she stumbled again. Backwards, this time.

Clint reached out and snagged her arm, grabbing her and pulling her up against him. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yup. Absolutely.” She nodded, snuggling in against him. Because he had a nice chest, too. “But you should take me home.”

He chuckled, his eyebrow raising as he looked down at her. “You don’t mean your home, do you?”

“Nope.” She shook her head before resting her cheek against his chest. “You smell nice.”

“You know, you don’t have to be drunk to come over and cuddle with my dog.”

“I know. But I’m better at Tony Hawk when I’m drunk, and this time I’m gonna kick your ass.” She looked up and beamed a bright smile at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thestanceyg:  
> Due to a little liquid courage, Darcy finally makes her move on pairing of your choice. However, it seems she drank a little too much courage. Hilarity ensues.


	48. Darcy/Clint/Pietro

“Darcy?” The quiet voice came through the thin closet door. Warm, caring, none of the impatience she  _knew_  he had to be feeling to be dealing with this again.

She was curled into a ball against the wall, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, head buried in her arms. “Go away,” she whispered. It wouldn’t carry past the fabric of her sweater, but she didn’t know if she wanted him to or didn’t want him to.

“Darcy, I brought you Twizzlers.” He paused like he was waiting for a response. “I’ll just slide them under the door.”

A thin, flat package slid through the narrow gap at the bottom of the door and skittered along the concrete floor until it bumped gently into her foot. Of course it did. He never missed.

Her face was hot under the curtain of her hair, wet from the silent tears that just wouldn’t stop.

“Jane’s not mad, you know.” She could almost picture him sitting cross-legged on the floor, facing the door. Jane was never mad. Jane should have been mad, she wanted Jane to be mad. But Jane would just get her little army of actual science interns to put the doohickey-thing back together again and go back to looking at Darcy with those wide brown eyes, filled with pity.

She was tired of the pity. She was tired of people walking on eggshells, of everyone excusing the shit she did with, “She’s still in mourning, give her time.” Pietro had been killed two months ago, and it was just getting worse. Someone would look at her like  _that_ and she would get angry. So, so angry. Something would get broken. And then the regret and the shame that she would try to hide from. Only there was nowhere she could hide that Clint wouldn’t find her.

“I want to be a person again,” she whispered into her valley between her legs and her chest. But no one heard her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bulmavegotaku:  
> Clint/Darcy/Pietro Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace


	49. Darcy/Coulson

Darcy went for a walk every morning. There wasn’t enough athletic support in the world to get her to run, but she liked that quiet early morning freshness, dew on the grass, the sun just coming up.

So every morning she would circuit the park, then stop and get a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream from the vendor, before sitting on one specific park bench to listen to her iPod and enjoy her drink.

It was  _her_ bench. It was out of the way, usually unoccupied thanks to its location, but it was tucked right under a large weeping willow, and it felt… peaceful.

One morning, her bench wasn’t empty. There was a man there in a gray suit. He looked… Tired. Like, not just didn’t-get-enough-sleep-last-night tired, but actually fucking exhausted. He gave her a gentle smile, and she smiled back before sitting down with her hot chocolate.

He wasn’t there the next morning, but two mornings after that, he was back. Blue suit this time, looking just as tired, with the same gentle smile that she returned.

He was there infrequently as spring moved into summer. It didn’t fail, three or four times a week, she would share her bench with him in utter quiet. She got to noticing things about him.

He didn’t give much away, but Darcy was into details. Sometimes there was an extra line across his forehead and he fidgeted a little- worry. Sometimes the smile lingered and he looked over at her for longer- happiness. Sometimes his face was completely blank except for  _something_ in his eyes, and she just wanted to give him a hug.

She never did, though. He kept to the right side of the bench, she kept to the left. They never said anything to each other, and he never did anything but sit. She was always the first to leave, taking her empty hot chocolate cup with her.

It was raining one summer morning. Darcy didn’t care, it wasn’t like she was going to melt. She made her circuit of the park, then got her hot chocolate and made her way under the stirring branches of the tree. He was there, and the look on his face…

She took her seat beside him, uncaring that the wooden bench was wet. She was already soaked through a little extra water wasn’t going to kill her.

She could feel him watching her, feel his eyes on her. He didn’t say anything, and she turned off her music to be sure. She wanted to be there for him, he needed… something.

But he didn’t speak. And Darcy finished her hot chocolate just like she always did. She didn’t get up right away, though, instead she looked over at the man. He was still looking at her, desperation in his gray eyes. She scooted across the bench until her thigh bumped against his. Slowly, deliberately, she dropped her eyes from his to look at his lips, then looked back up again. He nodded, just the barest of movements, and she leaned forward to kiss him.

His lips were soft, wet from the rain, slightly chilly in contrast to the lingering heat from her hot chocolate. In just a second, his hands were on her, one tangled in the hair at the back of her neck, the other hot and heavy across her thigh. He deepened the kiss, tasting her like he was starving and she was his salvation. Time fell away, they were lost in each other.

At last, reluctantly, he pulled away. There was a look of gratitude on his face, and he smiled that gentle smile before he got up from the bench and left.

She didn’t see him again, not until a couple of years later…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 26) sitting on the same park bench au


	50. Darcy/Coulson 2

He hadn’t been surprised to see her there. His gray eyes had moved over her and there’d been that same gentle smile she remembered before his expression had turned into something more apologetic. He hadn’t really changed in the two years since she’d seen him, only now instead of sharing a park bench with her, he was taking their stuff away. Like, just all of Jane’s lab, gone. And Darcy didn’t even really have a chance to talk to him.

But then he was giving it all back again, even her iPod, which he handed to her personally. “Is this what you were listening to?” he asked as he placed it in her outstretched hand. Coulson, that was his name. Phil Coulson.

She couldn’t even hold onto her anger as she looked into those familiar gray eyes, tired but relieved somehow. “Some of it. Some of it’s new.” Her head tilted to the side a little as she regarded him. “Come for a drink with me tonight?” She’d asked on a whim, and was fully expecting him to say no, so much that when he nodded after just a brief pause, Darcy was actually surprised. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, and his smile grew, just a little.

“Do you want me to pick you up here?” It was her turn to nod, and his eyes moved over her face for just a second before he walked away.

A drink predictably turned into ending up together at the small town’s motel. Phil was as thorough at the whole sex thing as he was at supervising the commandeering of lab equipment. He went down on her for what felt like an hour, until Darcy felt like she was a puddle of goo across the double bed. When he settled himself between her legs, his cock sliding deep inside her, she wound her legs around his hips. They rocked against each other for what seemed like eternity, then fell asleep, legs still tangled together.

She wasn’t entirely surprised to see him gone when she woke up in the morning. There was a note for her with a phone number on it. Out of curiosity, she tried the number when she got back to the lab, it just went directly to a generic voicemail box.

It was a few weeks later when she started to realize the full repercussions of what they’d done. It started out innocently enough, just an almost-overwhelming exhaustion at the end of the day and suddenly being thirstier than normal. However, when she started finding herself leaning over the toilet around 6:30 every evening, Darcy realized it might be time for a trip to the local pharmacy.

Which led to a call to the voicemail box. It didn’t even ring, it hadn’t last time. Just the generic, ‘You’ve reached this number, leave a message.’

She waited until it beeped and then took a deep breath. “So, did you know that even if used properly, condoms are only 98% effective?” Her hands were shaking a little as she turned the phone off.  
The next morning, he was already in the lab when she came stumbling down from the room she’d claimed as hers up on the second floor. It was a tiny room that had probably been a small office, but it totally fit a bed inside. Not, you know, much else…

He was sitting at the central table where a lot of the paperwork and most of the brainstorming happened, a steaming paper cup sitting in front of him. He offered it to her as she moved across the lab and flopped down on the chair next to him.

It was hot chocolate, somehow the same kind that she’d used to drink after her walks around the park that ended up with her sitting on the same park bench as he was. She pulled the sleeves of her sweater up over her hands so only her fingers were peeking out before wrapping her hands around the cup and taking a drink. It tasted exactly like she remembered.

“I am never having penis-sex again,” she said, addressing her cup even though the words were meant for him. “It would figure that the first time I actually go for it, I end up pregnant.”

His eyebrows went up sharply at that, apparently alarmed as he looked at her. The unspoken question was all over his face, and she shook her head. “Are you kidding? No, I’ve had sex before, just never… You know… with someone with a penis. I mean… It was good. You know, I came, like a lot. Only apparently women orgasm to encourage correct fertilization. So maybe you were too good.”

Phil’s smile was a little strained, like he was  _trying_  to appreciate her sense of humor, but he just wasn’t there. Which, to be entirely fair, she wasn’t either. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do?”

So maybe it was just the fucked up hormones, but the absolute lack of judgment or reservation in his voice made tears spring into her eyes. He  _knew_  it was her decision, that’s what his voice told her. “I don’t know!” came out as kind of a wail, and Phil looked actually alarmed.

“Are you okay?”

Darcy nodded, wiping the cuffs of her sleeves over her cheeks. “Yeah. Just, you show up with hot chocolate I like, and you’re all, 'I’m gonna be super awesome and supportive!'” He relaxed a little when he heard her words, but then froze as she set her drink down and practically launched herself at him.

It took a second, but his arms went around her, patting her back comfortingly. As soon as the tears stopped, Darcy got up. She’d practically been sitting in his lap, she realized a little belatedly, and resettled herself in her chair. “Sorry, I’m just…” She made a face.

“I understand it’s normal to be somewhat emotional.” He produced a tissue- like, completely unused and everything- from somewhere and handed it to her, and she wiped her eyes and nose.

“Thanks.” Taking another deep breath, she crumpled the tissue into a ball and set it on the table. “Do you have any… Input?” Not that, you know, he actually got a vote, she was just curious.

“Whatever you decide, Darcy.” He folded his arms across his chest, gray eyes steady on her face. “Either I’ll get you to a clinic or I’ll put you on my health insurance.”

She stared hard at the ceiling in an effort not to cry again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amemah:  
> Darcy/Coulson, pregnant after a one-night-stand
> 
> A sequel of sorts to the other Darcy/Coulson in this collection!


	51. Darcy/Coulson 3

Darcy knocked twice on the frosted window that took up the upper half of the open office door before stepping across the threshold. “Hey.” She stood there a little awkwardly, legs crossed at the ankle and her hands going into her pocket.

Phil looked up from his paper-covered desk, his lips moving up into a small smile, apparently not sharing any of the awkwardness she was feeling. “Hey. It’s good to have you back.” It sounded so heartfelt, too, like he’d actually missed her.

She firmly told herself not to read too much into it. “It’s good to be back.” She’d been at Fury’s super secret new SHIELD/Avengers base, and then she’d been caught up in the whole Sokovia helicarrier thing, and it had been a while since she’d been back at what she now considered her home. She shook her head, puffing out her cheeks as she let out a long sigh. “You know, they’re much more uptight over there.”

The smile grew. “Would you believe Fury wouldn’t let me put a fish tank on the Bus?”

Darcy nodded, pressing her lips together. “Yes. I really, really would.” Fury was the exact opposite of letting people do fun things.

He gestured to the seat on the other side of his desk, and Darcy closed the door, walking through the room until she could sit down in the indicated chair. “How are you?” His gray eyes moved over her like he was looking for injuries or something like that.

“Me? I’m good. I’m, you know…” She shrugged. “I’m fine. You guys had a pretty eventful time when I was gone, though, so maybe I should be asking you that.” Her eyes dropped pointedly to the glove-covered hand that was lying on his desk.

He lifted it up, his gaze fixing on it as he flexed his fingers. “Stark made it for me. The mobility is about the same, but decreased sensation. He said he’s working on that for me.” Phil looked back at her, the hand returning to the top of his desk. “Are you going to be staying with us?”

It seemed odd that he was leaving it up to her. His face was pleasantly neutral, giving nothing away, and Darcy let out a long sigh. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t have to.” She winced at the words that just slipped out. They’d fucked twice, not counting the mutual orgasms in Lola’s front seats. Once on this very desk and then again in her bunk, and then… It wasn’t that it was awkward, but… Yeah, it was getting pretty fucking awkward. It wasn’t like he was avoiding her or anything, a  _lot_  of shit had come up, and she knew that. Knowing it, though, didn’t help the little voice in the back of her head that told her that he just didn’t want her that way anymore.

Phil looked at her for a long moment, then braced his hands on the desk and got to his feet. She watched him walk around to where he kept the record player on its own little table. There was a box of records still sitting beside it, and he bent down to flip through them before selecting one and taking it out. He was a pro at setting the record up, and when he set the needle gently on the spinning record, something jazzy filled the room.

He came back to the desk and stood by her chair until she got up as well, settling herself on top of the desk so that they were more eye-to-eye. “You’re an asset to the team, Darcy. I want you here. Skye’s- sorry, Daisy’s- going into the field full time with Mack, and it would be good to have strong tech support backing us up.” His eyes moved over her again. “I won’t keep you here against your will. If you want a transfer, we can make that happen.”

“No, I don’t want a transfer. I just… Like…” Darcy made a face, looking down at where she was twisting her hands together in her lap. “All my friends are here, you’re here, but it’s like you guys all have way different shit going on now, and I don’t wanna be in the way.”

A small smile moved over his face again, and his hand extended out towards her. She stared at it for a second, eyebrows raising as she lifted her gaze to look back at him. “Phil, what are you-”

“Shut up and dance with me.”

Her eyes widened a little, an incredulous smile turning up her own lips as she looked at him. He didn’t take it back, didn’t move away, and in just a second she took the offered hand and let him gently pull her to her feet. He spun her into him, and she caught herself against his chest, laughing. “You really do know how to dance.”

“SHIELD Academy.” One hand went to the small of her back as he kept ahold of her hand, and he shifted, one leg pressing between her own for balance as he dipped her backwards. She relaxed against his hands, letting him guide her down and then back against him. He was holding her a little closer than was strictly necessary for actual dancing, but after the initial two moves he seemed to have no more interest in actual dancing. “I want you to stay. I don’t have a lot of spare time right now, but I want you here.”

She nodded, leaning forward to rest her forehead against the top of his shoulder. Her free hand sneaked its way around his back, holding him close. “Does this make me the First Lady of SHIELD?”

Darcy wasn’t sure he heard her past the smooth fabric of his suit jacket, but in a second she heard his quiet huff of amusement. “Not quite. But it does mean I can change the fraternization rules.”

She turned so that she was resting her cheek against him, eyes closed. “Mm, please don’t. Now it’s got the added bonus of being forbidden.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> southernbibliophile:  
> Darcy/Coulson, please!  
> Shut Up And Dance With Me.  
> Follows after Solace.


	52. Darcy/Fitz

She didn’t expect to see him again, honestly. It had been years… He’d finished out his year, graduated like he was supposed to, and then had gone back to Scotland. Only maybe he hadn’t gone back to Scotland? ‘Cause now he was in Tony’s lab, doing… Something.

Darcy snagged Bruce’s elbow as he walked past her, a friendly smile on his face. “Hey, is he…” She pointed directly at Leo. “Is he part of Coulson’s SHIELD team?”

Bruce obligingly turned to look, nodding as he caught sight of the younger man. “Fitz? I think that’s his name.”

Leo chose that second to look up, and Darcy fought the urge to hide behind Bruce. Not that he’d actually provide adequate cover- thanks for being short,  _Bruce_. Leo blinked, one hand moving to his face to bite his thumbnail.

“Do you know him?” 

Darcy had almost forgotten Bruce was there until he spoke, and she snapped her eyes back to his face. “Yeah. He came to my school for a year, something about his dad…”

Bruce nodded before continuing on down the hall, and when Darcy looked back through the clear glass wall of Tony’s lab, she startled to realize Leo was walking towards her. She could only watch as he came out of the lab, stopping just a few feet away from her.

“Hi,” she offered.

“Hi.” His eyes were fixed on her face, he’d always been really good about keeping eye contact.

“How are you?”

“Good, I’m…” She nodded. “Good.”

“I always wondered what I’d say if I saw you again, but I never thought…” He sighed, and there was pain in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… You were the first person to really welcome me, and I treated you like shit.”

“No, I get it. We were young and stupid, and it was probably the first place you were actually cool. I get it.” Her eyes moved over his face. “Soft sciences are totally science, too, you know.”

“I know. Can I make it up to you? Maybe… Take you out for dinner?”

“If I was  _that_ person, I’d say yes, and then stand you up like you stood me up.” He flinched visibly at her words, and there was a deep pain in his blue eyes that said that maybe, just maybe, he understood about betrayal. She sighed. “I’m not that person. Just… If you stand me up this time, just remember that it’s the other way around this time. Everyone here likes me better than you. And they won’t stop at verbal mocking.”

He nodded. There was a tentative smile on his face, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> missdarcygirl:  
> 10) high school popular kid/nerd au


	53. Darcy/Fitz 2

Leo reached out his hand, and Darcy clutched it, the other tightly holding her gun as she desperately hoped she wouldn’t have to use it. She could hear the noises of fighting outside, the sounds of other people’s lives coming to an abrupt end.

“Darcy, I-”

“Nope.” She didn’t even look over at him, although she could practically feel the weight of his blue eyes on her. “Not happening.”

“But-”

“Nope. I’ve survived two alien attacks on Earth already, and I’m sure as shit not giving up the ghost on this one. I even saved a puppy the first time. A puppy, Leo.” Her voice was a little higher than normal, she was speaking a little faster than she usually did. But she was trying, dammit, and that counted for something. “Unless the next words out of your mouth are suggesting that we should have adrenaline-charged, end-of-the-world sex, I don’t want to hear them.”

It was stupid, but she didn’t want any heat of the moment confessions, because it was always  _after_  the heat of the moment confessions when one half of the couple died in movies. 

There was a moment of silence. Darcy looked over to see him staring at her, and along with the fear in his eyes, there was something… Else. Right. There wasn’t exactly a whole lot of room where they were hiding under-slash-behind Coulson’s desk. She practically leaped onto him, her lips desperately seeking his, hands frantically scrabbling over his clothes the same way he was pulling at hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> 18) things you said when you were scared


	54. Darcy/Fitz 3

Darcy pushed at her hair a little before settling back on her bed, pulling her laptop into her lap. It was almost time for Leo to call, and she didn’t want to miss it.

Skype was right in the center of her screen, and she opened it up and waited. Her work day was done, but she knew that Leo didn’t ever really get to say that. Sometimes he was late, but that was just sort of the way things went.

She twisted the rings on her finger as she waited, the green-stoned engagement ring and the slim gold wedding band. Thankfully, today wasn’t a day where Leo was going to be late. She got the notification of his call, and accepted it.

He was wearing her favorite soft blue sweater, and she smiled as soon as she saw him. “Hey,” she greeted.

“Hey,” he replied, his blue eyes lit up with happiness. “Oh, I miss you. Two weeks, right?”

She nodded. Not that she was counting down or anything. “How are you?”

“You know. Busy. Always busy.”

Darcy made a face. She knew. It was why they only got to talk to each other a few times a week. They chatted for a little bit, just enjoying being able to see and talk to each other, even though it wasn’t face-to-face.

Too soon, though, Leo had to go. Darcy pressed her lips against her fingertips and then waved them at the screen. “I love you.”

She loved the way his smile lit up his whole face. “I love you, too. I’ll talk to you soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> missdarcygirl  
> 15) things you said with too many miles between us


	55. Darcy/Fury

New York storms were different than New Mexico storms. New Mexico storms were all sudden and primal and full of energy. New York storms were all get-inside-and-bundle-up and bitch about how soggy everything was and stuff.

And Darcy usually found herself stuck inside whenever there was a really good storm. Knowing an actual I-call-the-thunder guy helped sometimes, but she couldn’t be all, “Hey, Thor, make me a storm,” every other week, because of natural repercussions and blah blah blah.

She actually heard the thunder this time. Usually she was in the soundproofed building and missed everything, but this time Darcy was on a coffee run for Jane and Bruce because it was after-hours and she was awesome. She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, looking up at the dark clouds pressing in on the city.

Everyone was scurrying out of the way of the cold drops of rain that started pelting the ground, escaping the rising wind. Except… Except the dark figure who was walking directly towards her.

“We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you wanna stop and feel the rain?” came the dry question, and Darcy looked up at Nick and smiled.

“I miss it.” She put her arms around him, resting the side of her face against the cold, wet leather of his coat. “When did you get into town?”

“Just now. I was on my way to the tower when someone caught my eye.” One hand rested against her back. “You out on a coffee run?”

“Yeah, but they won’t notice if I’m not back for an hour or two.” She pulled away enough to look up into his face. He was wearing the dark glasses he preferred now that he was taking a break from being Official SHIELD Badass. “You eat yet?”

“You going to have to change before we get something to eat. Maybe take a shower.”

“Huh. You’re right.” She watched him for a second. “Know anyone who could help me with that?”

“I might be able to.” He leaned over for a brief kiss before she caught his hand and let him lead her back to his car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wispymagic:  
> “We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you wanna stop and feel the rain?”


	56. Darcy/Happy

Darcy let out a long sigh. She hated flying. But Pepper was going to a super important business meeting in Japan, and as Pepper’s PA, she had to go, too.

Although, to be fair, flying on a private plane was a lot more appealing than commercial flights.  It was still boring, though. Pepper was off renewing her membership in the mile-high club with Tony, who wasn’t  _supposed_  to be with them but had turned up anyway, probably out of boredom.

She sighed again, looking over at the cabin’s only other occupant. Happy, Pepper’s bodyguard. He was sitting a couple of seats down, a look of frustration on his face as he jabbed at the tablet he was holding. “How’d you end up with ‘Happy,’ anyway?” she asked. “Is it a Tony thing like ‘Pepper?’”

He looked slightly relieved, actually, as he looked up from his tablet. He wasn’t the most tech-savvy guy on the planet, or so the story went. “It was my boxing name.”

“You boxed?” Her eyebrows rose in surprise. She knew he’d been Tony’s driver-slash-bodyguard first, but then had officially become Pepper’s bodyguard after Tony became Iron Man.

He unfolded himself from his seat and walked the short distance to sit down again, this time across from her. “Yeah. I never smiled, so they gave me the name, ‘Happy.’” He shrugged. “It stuck.”

Darcy nodded, looking at him. He was wearing his usual neat suit, but she could easily imagine him in boxing gloves and shorts. “So how’d you end up…” She gestured at the plane. “Here.”

“Tony was in a car crash, I was first on the scene. Stayed with him until the paramedics came. I wanted out before I got seriously injured, and he…” Happy nodded. “He got me out.”

“Huh.” She watched him for a second. “You still box?”

“Yeah, with Tony sometimes.” He shrugged again, a slightly rueful expression on his face. “Not as much as we used to, conflicting schedules and that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Darcy nodded emphatically. She’d moved into the Avengers Tower to assist Jane with her science badassery, but Jane was being called out of town more and more often, and Darcy wasn’t really as helpful as she could have been. So Pepper had sort of adopted her, and she didn’t see Jane nearly as much as she used to.

“I’m gonna get some coffee, you want something?” The way he was looking at her suggested that maybe it was an invitation to more than just coffee.

She grinned. “Yeah, coffee would be great. Thanks.” They’d both kinda been left in the dust and were obviously going to be spending some significant time together, getting to know him wouldn’t be a bad thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sarastark:  
> Darcy Lewis/Happy Hogan boxing gloves.


	57. Darcy/Heimdall

Darcy was used to Bifrosting by now. The dizzying swirl of colors so brilliant that they didn’t even have names, the sucking, pulling, drowning feeling that left her feeling like she’d been sucked through a tube.

This was usually about as far as she got, the big open dome-room that was a little too chilly to really be comfortable. Well, for her. The large man standing in the center of the room never seemed to have any trouble with it.

He was watching her the way he always did, dark eyes seeming to see right into her very soul. She knew he saw everything-  _everything_.

“Why do you suffer alone?” he asked, his voice like the rumble of thunder. It wasn’t the first time he’d asked.

She wiped the tear tracks from her face with the side of her hand. “I hold everyone together. If I fall apart…” She shrugged. “No one can see me fall apart.”

He held out his hand to her, one of the only parts of his that wasn’t covered in uncomfortable-looking armor, and when she took it, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Someone always sees.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> Iris-The goo goo dolls


	58. Darcy/Heimdall 2

Darcy had known that getting involved with not only an Asgardian, but the actual Gatekeeper of Asgard would involve some patience on her part. His job was all big and important, in addition to operating the Bifrost Bridge, he kept an eye on everything. Literally everything. All of it.

She also hadn’t been surprised when her birth control had failed _spectacularly_  and his super Asgardian sperm had gotten her knocked up. With twins. Apparently he and Sif were twins.

And, for the most part, they were pretty laid-back babies. Both of them. Most of the time. Only now they were teething, which apparently meant fevers and diarrhea. Times two.

And Heimdall, as much as she loved him, didn’t actually sleep, and since he was immortal and his whole thing was watching things happen, he didn’t really keep track of time very well. So while he tried to come home every day or two, sometimes he didn’t.

Like today.

When the twins had been up since about 5:00, were refusing to nap, and Darcy just felt kinda like hiding in the closet with a chocolate bar and a bottle of tequila. Or wine. Or cider. Or, you know, whatever. She wasn’t picky.

She was sitting on the couch, one baby snuggled up to each side. That was the only way to get them even remotely calm, to cuddle with them. She eyed her phone, then looked up at the ceiling. She tried to restrict her calling-for-Heimdall to actual emergencies, like that time there had been a grease fire in her kitchen  _which totally wasn’t her fault_.

But she was kinda getting to the point of crying herself. She hadn’t showered, she’d had two cups of coffee and a granola bar since she’d gotten up that morning, and she was just done. With tears stinging her eyes, she tilted her head back, looking straight at the ceiling. “Heimdall, the kids are sick  and I’m going crazy. So if you could, like, I dunno… Drop by? That would be pretty awesome.”

Sighing, she cuddled the babies even closer, trying to blink back her tears.

She kept the balcony door unlocked out of habit. In addition to Heimdall coming to see his family, Sif and the Warriors Three would drop by. So when it slid open, she didn’t get up to see who it was. Whoever it was could come to her-  _and it better be Heimdall_.

Frigga, though, coming around the corner in the living room was a completely shock. Darcy’s mouth dropped open and she stared a little. “Um, hi?”

“Are they cutting teeth?” The question was so sympathetic and kind that Darcy just kinda wanted to bawl. She nodded. “This isn’t an easy time with one, let alone two. I’ll see to them, you should eat something. Bathe.”

There was a brief flash of guilt at how ready she was to just leave her babies with the other woman. “Are you sure?”

Frigga smiled gently. “Of course.” She bent over and got both babies up in her arms, and Darcy practically fled the room.

First thing was a shower. The best shower ever. Frigga had relocated the twins to their nursery, but she firmly told Darcy to get a cup of coffee and something to eat before she was allowed in. So Darcy got to enjoy a cup of coffee while it was actually hot, and a sandwich.

She was feeling a lot better by the time she went back to the nursery. It was dark and quiet in there, the twins were apparently fast asleep. Darcy could only stare. “What did you do?” she whispered. Because clearly, Frigga was a miracle-worker.

Frigga smiled, leading the way out of the room and back into the living room before answering. “I have a remedy to ease the pain of cutting teeth, I shall leave some with you. They probably won’t sleep long before they wake to eat, but sleep will come a lot easier after that.”

Darcy hugged her. “You’re the best.”

Frigga returned the embrace for a moment before stepping back. “I also spoke to your husband, he will be arriving shortly after I depart.” They were the equivalent of common-law married on Asgard.

“No, seriously. You’re the best.” Darcy looked up at the other woman for a second. “How can I thank you?”

“Bring those sweet babies for a visit soon. It’s been a long time since we’ve had children around.”

“Done.” Definitely.

Darcy walked Frigga back out to the balcony, and the two exchanged another hug before Frigga Bifrosted away. It was just a couple of seconds before Heimdall was landing on the balcony, something very like guilt in his gold eyes.

“Forgive me, my love,” he said, dropping to one knee and taking her hand between both of his.

She looked down at him for a second before rolling her eyes. “Oh, get up. You’re gonna have to make this up to me. Although, Frigga coming really helped.”

He rose to his feet and pulled her against him, enveloping her in his embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sarastark:  
> Darcy/Heimdell “the kids are sick and I’m going crazy.”


	59. Darcy/Hunter/Mack

Darcy bobbed back and forth, her fists in their ridiculously huge boxing gloves up in front of her. She weaved around, keeping her eyes locked on Mack’s. He was… watching her. He looked amused, but he wasn’t really moving.

She sort of danced her way across the blue padded mat until she was just in front of him, then reached out and touched a glove against his chest. “Okay, this is stupid. I feel ridiculous.” Resting her hands on her hips, she turned to look over at where Hunter was standing at the edge of the mat, watching and ostensibly training them. “I can think of  _way_  better ways to get in my cardio with you guys.” She looked back at Mack. “Right?” Because maybe the two of them could stage a revolt and Hunter would have to give in. A sexy revolt. Of course, her hands looking like bright red marshmallows didn’t really say  _sexy revolt_  but she could work around that.

Mack looked down at her, then across the room as well. “I’m with Darcy. Go back to bed for a little bit, have some coffee.”

“In bed?” Darcy made a face. “That sounds like a recipe for disaster and having to change the sheets _again_. We could do coffee first, though, get some energy for our intense cardio workout.” She rested her puffy gloves against his shoulders, tilting her head back to look up at him.

“Not necessarily in that order.” His own red-covered hands came around her to rest lightly in the small of her back as he bent towards her.

“No, look.” The slightly put-out sounding voice from across the room pulled them apart, and Darcy twisted to look over her shoulder. Hunter looked  _interested_ , definitely, but he also looked a little impatient. “Coulson said that if you’re going to be out in the field then you have to get better at hand-to-hand combat.” His eyes flicked back and forth between them. “Both of you.”

Darcy turned back to Mack, raising her eyebrows as she looked up at him. “Should I?”

A grin spread slowly across his face, and he nodded. “I think you’d better.”

She let her hands slip away from him, turning to face Hunter. His eyebrow arched as she marched across the room towards him. “What are you doing, love?”

“Nothing.” She gave him her very best wide-eyed innocent look as she stopped in front of him. It wasn’t quite as much of a neck-craning exercise to look up into his face, and when she rested her hands against his shoulders she could lean up and nibble at his lips. “Face-to-face combat exercise.”

He was smiling as she settled back on her heels. “It’s supposed to be hand-to-hand.”

“Yeah. Get me out of these gloves and I’ll get my hands in there too.” Her teeth caught around her lower lip as she looked up at him.

Indecision flitted across his face. “Coulson is going to kill me,” he muttered, lowering his mouth to meet hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another picture prompt from Tumblr!


	60. Darcy/Jane

Maybe it was a little overboard what they’d done to that plant. Maybe. Possibly. On the other hand, after having seen…  _That_ … And then the ensuing aftermath…

Jane walked over, a steaming cup in each hand. She handed one to Darcy before sinking down to sit at her side. She didn’t say anything as she sat down with a sigh, settling back into the couch like she was trying to disappear into the oversized hoodie she’d borrowed from… Probably Steve.

Darcy nodded, cupping both hands around the cup before she snuggled back against the back of the couch, her arm resting along the length of Jane’s. “How are you?”

“I’m okay.” She didn’t  _sound_  entirely okay, but Darcy was willing to take it face value. “How are you?”

“I’m okay.” Darcy shrugged a little, making sure not to jostle Jane too much. She took a long sip of her drink- coffee fortified with Bailey’s, from the taste. Or maybe Bailey’s fortified with coffee. “Clint and I bang sometimes, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Jane arched an eyebrow, and a small smile moved across her lips. “You do seem to enjoy casual sex.”

“Only as often as possible.” Darcy looked over at her friend for a moment. There was an afghan on the back of the couch, and she grabbed it, spreading it over both of their legs. It was a bit awkward with one hand, but she managed, then settled back again to rest her head on Jane’s shoulder. “To be fair, it’s friend-sex, which is entirely different than casual sex.”

Jane was quiet for a second as she took a drink of her own coffee. “I guess.” There was another moment of quiet. “Does that help?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it does.”

Darcy could hear Jane swallowing again, and then felt the weight of a head resting gently against her own. “Thanks for coming in after us.”

“Well, of course!” Darcy reached over and squeezed Jane’s upper arm. “You’re my Jane!”

There was a long pause. “I talked to them about it. A little, I mean. Tony’s… Tony’s really upset about it. I think he’s planning on buying me my own island.” Jane gave an amused sniff. “I’m pretty sure he wasn’t joking, either. Bruce is… Well, we got him to agree not to leave. At least not yet.” She sighed. “The sacrifices we make for science, I guess.”

“Well…” Darcy made a face and took another drink of her coffee. “We learned a lot, right? I mean… Alien plant, the pollen makes humans, um, fuck like bunnies, and it burns  _purple_  when it explodes.”

“Yeah.” Jane’s shoulders moved with a deep sigh, and Darcy sighed too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Jane/Darcy! Sex pollen
> 
> Follows after Chapter 41


	61. Darcy and Jane

Darcy stared at the white plastic test in front of her with the very unmistakable word on it. This wasn’t even open to interpretation like the test she’d tried yesterday. No, the  _pregnant_  in digital letters was pretty clear.

She was kinda… Detached. On the one hand, you know, not entirely surprising. Like… Super sperm was pretty much a given, she probably should have been looking at it as just a matter of time before something like this happened. But… She hadn’t?  _Oops_.

So now what?

She moved out of the bathroom and down the hall to Jane’s lab, barely registering the steps she was taking.

Jane looked up from her screen as Darcy entered, and immediately got to her feet to rush over. “What happened?”

Okay, because it was a secret. She hadn’t told anyone about the faint second line on the test yesterday.  _No one_. She just held out the test and Jane took it, squinting for a second as she realized what was going on. “Uh…” A glance up to Darcy, then back at the test. “This is yours?”

“Yeah.” Not that Darcy was really going to walk around with other people’s pee sticks, but she could understand the disbelief. “Yeah, so, um… That’s a thing.”

“Are we…” Jane’s eyebrow lifted as she peered into Darcy’s face with a very concerned expression. “How are we?”

“Processing. Denial. Desperately wanting a large vat of ice cream to bury myself in for a day or two.”

“I can…” Jane looked around the lab, then nodded. “I can do all of that. Let’s go upstairs and we’ll get started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another five minute fic. These are fun!


	62. Darcy/Jane/Thor

 Darcy had always been a little bit anxious about her soulmates. She had two. This wasn't exactly common, and she tried to keep it as under wraps as she possibly could. One one of her soulmarks wrapped around her wrist, a completely unhelpful, “Darcy Lewis?” in tiny, neat printing. The other was what she had identified as Norse runes, running down the outside curve of her hip. That one was easy enough to keep hidden, or pass off as just a tattoo if someone happened to see it while she was swimming. Darcy didn't do a lot of swimming.

But while everyone else who had them was talking about marriage and babies and things like that, Darcy just kinda smiled and went along with it. Marriage wasn't... No. A lot of internet searching had helped Darcy reveal that she was aromantic. Platonic soulmates happened, but they weren't common. And what were the chances she had two?

Which was why she'd been very relieved to meet Dr. Jane Foster. Jane was her best friend, and the match to the soulmark around her wrist. Jane was _not_ aro, she was actually ace, but they were definitely platonic soulmates. And Jane's other soulmark, while not a direct match to Darcy's, was definitely Norse runes, written in the same hand.

And then Thor had dropped quite literally into their lives, and was obviously the match to both of their soulmarks. He and Jane seemed quite happy to fall in love with each other, which was pretty fucking fantastic. And Darcy sort of kept to the outside, letting them do their thing. Because he was hot. He was, like, panty-melting hot. Darcy wanted nothing more than to have him toss her over his shoulder and carry her somewhere to have his way with her. Repeatedly. But... Well, it was complicated. Obviously. The fact that they were platonic soulmates didn't uncomplicate it at all.

He left for a while, came back two years later. He and Jane had their big reunion moment, which was awesome, and then it was just the three of them left in the tiny flat.

He kept looking at Darcy, smiling. And she figured, you know what, fuck it? Better to just get it out in the open.

“So, I know you two are all in love forever, which is _totally_ awesome, but, like... Does that mean sex is off the table for us?” She tried to pass off casual nonchalance and probably catastrophically failed.

Jane laughed, of course. She'd agonized about it _at length_ to Jane, who'd gone with, “Well, just talk to him about it.” Jane didn't have a problem with the idea, which helped.

He looked at her, blue eyes moving over her with an intensity she hadn't seen before. “No. Is this something you desire?”

“Yes?” That came out as more of a question than Darcy really wanted, but she nodded for emphasis.

The intensity in his eyes made her shiver. He glanced over at Jane, and she nodded, and then he was up off of the kitchen chair and moving towards where Darcy was standing beside the wall, arms folded. He looked down at her for a only a second or two before he reached out and grasped her waist, lifting her off the floor and onto his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a plot-bunny I've been kicking around for a while. So now it's... Out.


	63. Darcy/Jane/Thor 2

“You should tell him.” Jane gave a significant look to Thor before her gaze came back to Darcy.

Darcy’s eyes widened a little and she shook her head. “World of no. Absolutely not.” No. There was no fucking way.

Of course, Thor had some super enhanced hearing to go along with those fantastic abs of his, and his blue eyes came over to rest on Darcy as well. “Tell me what?” he asked. He was just so earnest about everything, and his curiosity was no exception.

Darcy sighed. She gave Jane an accusatory look. “I can kinda fly.” She winced. That really hadn’t been what she’d been  _meaning_  to say, but he’d dropped down on the balcony of their flat that morning and it had kinda been sticking in her head.

His eyes flicked over her like he was trying to figure out what she meant. Because she obviously didn’t have a spinning hammer of awesomeness and helicopter powers, and she didn’t have wings.

She sighed, busying herself with taking her cereal bowl over to the sink and rinsing it out. “Look, it’s not a big deal, but if you’re going to be staying with us for a while you should probably know that I’m a witch.”

When she looked put the bowl in the drip tray and looked back towards the table, Thor looked… The same as he had two seconds ago. “Aye. My mother is a sorceress as well.” There was a pause, and the corners of his mouth turned up into a ready smile. “Though that doesn’t give her the powers of flight.”

“No, I have a broom. Sorta… Flies me all over the place. It’s  _really_  not a big deal.” Hadn’t she said that already? “Just, I was saying because Jane was talking about getting somewhere out of the city to look at the stars, and I didn’t want you to feel like you have to take both of us or whatever.” She paused, taking in the utter not-giving-a-shit reaction on his face. “And, uh, don’t touch my cauldron or I’ll hex you.” His smile grew at that. “I’m fucking serious.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uruvielnumenesse:  
> Jane/Thor/Darcy Harry Potter Au


	64. Darcy/JARVIS

Darcy got her cheeseburger, and her fill of curly fries. It didn’t take too long, actually, her stomach wasn’t really used to processed food anymore. She got all of the hugs she could stand, and a shower that just never ended.

But she felt… Odd. Tony had taken the cuffs off her wrist as soon as she’d stepped foot off the boat, and she felt… bereft. Lonely.  _Alone_.

“You are distressed,” came the heartbreakingly familiar voice.

Darcy nodded, leaning forward to rest her head against the cool tile wall, the water pouring almost scalding-hot over her back. “I miss you,” she whispered, knowing he would hear her even over the sound of the water hitting the shower floor.

“Mr. Stark is working on a solution for us.”

She lifted her head, eyes opening. “You told him?”

“Of course.” Just a hint of disbelief, like he wasn’t sure why she was even asking. “Head down to his lab as soon as you are finished here.”

She was nodding. “How is your tower?”

“Standing.” The wry tone in his voice made her smile. “I will be very busy for some time.”

“Talk to me.”

As she showered, he told her all of the things he was doing as he interfaced with the tower again, all of the clean-up he needed to do, the organization. She let his words pour over her like the water cascading from the shower head, taking familiar comfort in the sound of his voice.

At last, though, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She felt clean, really clean for the first time in ages. Clean clothes were absolutely wonderful, too.

Darcy was a little bit nervous, though, as she headed out of her apartment and towards the elevator. She wasn’t really sure she wanted to discuss her relationship with JARVIS with… the man who’d created him.

“It will be okay,” JARVIS soothed her as the elevator descended, and she nodded, but she didn’t exactly feel any better.

Tony was sitting at a desk, working away on something. He looked up when she entered, though, and then his entire face lit up. “This is amazing,” he said, before she even had a chance to speak. “I didn’t even know JARVIS was capable of romantic attachment.”

“Yeah…” Darcy lowered herself into an office chair, facing him with some trepidation. He was taking it better than she thought he would, but was there some other shoe just waiting to drop?

He put down the soldering iron he’d been holding and held up what appeared to be a metal bracelet. “And this… Is for you.” Getting to his feet, he moved across the lab and handed the thin, metal oval to Darcy. “I can adjust the size if I need to, but JARVIS was pretty specific about the diameter of your wrist.”

She took it, turning it over in her hand, then opened it. It seemed to have some sort of interlocking metal clasp, and when she fastened it around her wrist, it buzzed reassuringly.

Tears filled her eyes almost immediately, and she wrapped her other hand around it the solid weight of the metal, slight though it was. It took a second before she could look up at Tony. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He reached out and squeezed her shoulder for a second. “I wasn’t exactly sure what to think when JARVIS first told me, but… It makes sense. He bonds, he feels emotions.” His eyes were heavy on her for a few seconds before, “Sex, though…”

Oh no. There was no way Darcy was having  _that_  discussion. She got to her feet, shaking her head.

“Please, don’t leave,” JARVIS said with a slight plaintive note as his voice filled the room. “I am physically limited, and I don’t wish to damage your nerves.”

Sighing, Darcy sank back down in the chair. Her eyes were fixed on Tony, watching him warily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A sequel to [Romantic Partner](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3330002). FINALLY. I might turn this into an actual fic, too, but I miiiiiiiiiiiight wait until I've seen AOU for possible Vision tie-ins.


	65. Darcy/JARVIS 2

“'Choosing carefully, he began to pull at the seams with his teeth.’ End of chapter twenty-two.” JARVIS stopped, closing the audio file.

“You have, like, the perfect voice for reading aloud.” This was the third time Darcy had made that exact statement. “You gonna keep going, or what?”

He accessed the application that monitored her body’s vitals and physiology. “Only if you get something to eat. You’re hungry.” This was not a subject for negotiation.

She made a small exhalation he’d come to associate with amusement. “You’re bossy.”

“Yes.” Mr. Stark had frequently called him such.

“Fine.”

No he would need to wait. He couldn’t “see” her, but he would be able to tell soon enough if she was providing sustenance for her body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More existing scene from alternate POV, this is Romantic Partner.


	66. Darcy/Jensen

“Shit, shit, shit.” Jensen was cursing under his breath, sort of pacing back and forth in his agitation. “We’re dead. We are, aren’t we?” He stopped to look at her, scrubbing a hand through his spiky hair.

Comms had gone down. Last they’d heard was that their location was being advanced on, but they hadn’t really heard anything since. It was awfully _silent_  out there.

“We’re fine. Although I bet I money I’m never going to be allowed on an op again.” Because it would be too  _dangerous_. Yep. She was already plotting out comebacks in her defense for  _that_  particular argument. “Just… Come here.”

The door at the far end of the little storage area they were holed up in opened up. Rolling her eyes, Darcy reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt, hauling him closer. She pulled and kept on pulling until he was not only right up against her, but bending down.

“What?” he whispered, eyes wide behind his glasses.

“Shut up. Just kiss me, quick!” She kept pulling until his lips landed directly on hers.

This wasn’t the first time they’d kissed, of course. And after a second of being completely frozen, his hands came out and rested against her hips. He was keeping a strained distance between them, though, and that was not okay.

Darcy pulled back just enough to hiss, “Jensen, you’ve had your tongue on my cunt before. Get. Closer.” And then she was kissing him again.

It worked, though. His arms went around her like he was actually into doing this. She could hear the sounds of fully-geared-up people trying to stealth through the room, and started moving back in the general direction of the wall. He was wearing body armor under his t-shirt, she… Wasn’t. Plus it would be easier to hide what they were doing with her against the wall, only because he was bigger.

There it was. She stepped back until her shoulders were against it. Jensen stiffened as his hands went against it, but he seemed to catch on. One hand slid down her hip, the one obscured from the advancing tac-suit people, finding the holster on her hip. She felt his hand close over the gun, slowly slip it up and out into his hand. He was the better shot.

It didn’t come to that, though. The room erupted in gunfire, and Darcy dropped to the floor so that she didn’t get hit by a stray bullet. That would go pretty badly for everyone.

It was over quickly, though. Darcy stood up, brushing off her pants as she looked around to see what was going on. 

Clay was standing there, a gun in each hand, looking mildly amused as he looked between her and Jensen. “We lose comms for seven minutes and you’re sticking your tongue down my wife’s throat?”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “I don’t hear Cougar bitching about it”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> "Kiss me, quick!" Darcy/Jensen
> 
> My Darcy/Clay feels are enormous. This follows after What You Need, which is smutty.


	67. Darcy/Johnny

Darcy liked going to the X-Mansion. She had friends there, it wasn’t a big deal if she got stuck overnight, and everyone was generally pretty awesome.

The Avengers Tower was home, of course, so that wasn’t a problem.

The Baxter Building, however… Okay. Sue was awesome. Ben was, like, tits on toast. Gigantic guys with big hearts was kind of her bag, and she and Ben got on like a house on fire. (She was totally introducing him to Volstagg the next time the Warriors Three came for a visit). But. Reed was kinda stuffy and had a tendency to think he was superior to everyone (especially people whose degrees were in squishy science), and Johnny… Well, he was Johnny. And usually she ended up leaving the Baxter Building with the urge to strangle someone. Sometimes two someones.

But she had to. She got to put her squishy science degree to good use and liaise between all of them- and SHIELD which totally didn’t exist anymore, of course, and therefore couldn’t be the biggest pain in the ass to get to because it was all the way out in Virginia when the other two places were, like, super close.

Today… Today was no exception. “I’m going to need some fucking kitten therapy,” she muttered to herself as she viciously jabbed the down arrow on the elevator.

It couldn’t come fast enough. But then when it did, she kinda… Wished it hadn’t. Because standing in the middle of the elevator with a smirk spreading across his face was none other than Johnny Storm. “You gonna go down with me?”

It was  _almost_ tempting to wait for the next one, but she really just wanted to get home and have a large margarita while bitching to Tony. Tony would _always_  indulge her in a good bitchfest about Reed.

Taking a deep breath for patience, she got onto the elevator and resolutely turned away from him. The button for the lobby was all lit up. At least there were only 35 floors instead of, you know, over a hundred. That was a good thing, right?

“No? Wait, are you… Are you actually ignoring me?” His voice was coming closer, he was ignoring her. “That hurts, you know. I have feelings.”

She just concentrated on the digital numbers over the door and kept her mouth shut.

The elevator just kinda stopped. And, like, creaked. Loudly. “Uh…” So this wasn’t good. And then the lights went out. Better and better.

Johnny snapped his fingers and there was suddenly an orange glow illuminating everything. “Romantic firelight?”

“Ugh! After dealing with fucking Reed, now I’m… Seriously? Like, of all the people I could get stuck in an elevator with, it had to be you?” Darcy knew she was pretty close to sounding like she was whining, but after dealing with fucking Reed, she was just  _so_  done. “And if I’m stuck in here because he just, like, doesn’t give a fuck about keeping on his maintenance, I am going to _kill_  him.” She turned around to face Johnny. “Slowly.”

Was that a flicker of hurt on his face? Whatever it was, it was gone behind another one of his ready smirks. “You want help?”

“Only if it will get the elevator fixed.” She eased her phone out of her pocket and called Sue, who promised she would call Jane if they couldn’t figure out a way to get them out. Now there was nothing to do but wait. She sank to the floor, letting out a long sigh.

There was an unexpected side effect of being stuck in an enclosed space with Johnny. Johnny was hot. And not like that (okay, a little bit like that, not that she’d noticed), but pretty soon she was pulling her hair up off her neck into a makeshift ponytail and fanning herself with her hand.

“Sorry.” She looked up at him to see if there was a punchline, but he actually looked serious for once. “You’re probably not too comfortable.”

Darcy nodded.“As long as they can get us out of here before you turn this into a sauna, we’ll be good.”

“If it comes to that, I’ll melt a wall, get us out of here. I don’t want to, ‘cause… Then  _I’d_  have to replace it, but it’s better that than you melting.”

“Thanks. Wow. You know…” She looked up at him for a second. “You’re not so bad when your mouth isn’t making it worse.”

“Oh, my mouth doesn’t make things worse.” And there it was. Still, she couldn’t help but smile at least a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cswan86:  
> #67 Darcy/Johnny Storm? Because for some reason I love this pairing and there are never enough fics available...  
> 67\. “Of all the people I could’ve gotten stuck in an elevator with and it just had to be you.”


	68. Darcy/Johnny 2

“I found the perfect costume!” The exclamation came from down the hall, and Darcy closed her eyes and sighed. This was bound to be… Interesting. She was sitting in the living roomy area in Johnny’s apartment near the top off the Baxter Building. She’d had to come here for work, and now she was kinda procrastinating about actually going out and talking to Richard.

She wasn’t entirely sure how this happened. She’d been stuck in an elevator with Johnny at one point, and now they were… She wasn’t entirely sure. It was basically a big question mark with a point at the bottom that had the ability to set himself on fire. And he was going to Tony’s big Halloween costume party thing with her? Somehow?

He came down the hall, hands spread wide and that smirk on his face. He was wearing… Not a lot. Red spandex shorts, red spandex suspenders, and a yellow fire hose  _dangling_  off the front of his shorts. She stared at him for a second. “What the fuck?” It wasn’t that she was  _surprised_ , really… 

Johnny walked over until he was standing directly in front of, that yellow hose hanging in her face. “It’s getting hot in here. Wanna grab my hose and help me put it out?”

She was torn, she really was. Because she was about eye-level with his fantastic abs, and there was a strong impulse to just lean forward and lick them. On the other hand, this type of thing probably shouldn’t be encouraged. Although…

“What happens if you flame on? Because we all know that at some point you’re gonna be all, ‘I can set myself on fire!’” Every time. Every time they went out together, at some point he ended up on fire. Richard may have been an insufferable prick, but he  _had_  invented material that made sure that Johnny stayed dressed when he did it.

He took a couple steps back, and his body turned into pure orange-yellow flames. It was significantly warmer, significantly brighter, and Darcy closed her eyes. In another second, the bright glow from the other side of her eyelids was gone, and she opened them again.

And Johnny was standing there without a stitch on, which was actually her intention. Because this… This was  _way_  better than whatever that other thing had been. Of course, he couldn’t really go to Tony’s party like this, but that was a battle for another time. Because she still really wanted to lick him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> Number 6. Costume Party. Darcy/Jensen or Darcy/Johnny Storm.


	69. Darcy/Loki

After a very hurried, “My brother will see no harm befalls you,” Thor had installed Darcy on the business side of the prison cell and taken off to go and do battle with all of it.

Leaving Darcy in the glass prison cell with Loki. You know, Loki. Dude what had tried to destroy the Earth  _twice_. Why, exactly, did Thor think she’d be safe in with him?

He looked at her for a second before offering, “I’m here for my protection, not incarceration.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to snap about how believable that was, but that was the  _exact_  reason Darcy was standing on the gleaming white floor, so she didn’t really have any room to talk. She could ignore him, though, and went over to one  of the walls, sliding doing to sit on the floor with her side again it, pointedly not looking at the man in the cell with her.

Time passed. Darcy  _really_  wished her phone was still working, but it had long since run out of batteries, and Asgard was apparently so far beyond them in terms of technology that it wasn’t compatible with any of their power sources to charge it.

“Fuck this,” she muttered to herself. “I am  _never_  coming here again.” ‘Come to Asgard,’ Jane had said. ‘It’s so pretty!’ Yeah, well now it was overrun with some  _other_  kind of alien species, and there was nothing pretty about the cell she was in.

“I do beg your pardon, but was that an invitation?” came from across the room in the most snooty tone imaginable.

She turned to look over her shoulder at Loki and educate him on the finer points of the English language, but she found he was smiling, tongue caught between his teeth. There was something about that unabashed grin, she couldn’t help but smile too.

“Have I entered an alternate universe, or did you really just crack a smile at me?” His tone was slightly mocking.

“At you, definitely at you. As opposed to, you know,  _with_  you.” Still, maybe actually talking to him would make the wait a little more bearable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nemhaine42:  
> “Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?”


	70. Darcy/Loki 2

Darcy knows the exact second that her whole world changed. It was a Tuesday, of course, it’s  _always_  a Tuesday. She was driving back to the middle of nowhere because the fucking logistics team had forgotten the kind of coffee creamer she liked, and shit was about to go sideways if she couldn’t get her coffee perfect. With as much as she had to deal with, it was the  _least_  she could ask for. Fury hadn’t even batted an eye when she told him she was borrowing  _his_  SUV for a trip into town. Yeah, he knew what was up.

It wasn’t really that bad of a drive, either. The SHIELD base was out in the middle of nowhere, but it was pretty. It was fall, and all of the deciduous leaves were all different shades of orange and yellow.

And. It was quiet. She turned off her phone when she was in the car. Fury knew how to reach her in case of emergency, as did Steve and Nat, but no one was dropping by her office with stupid questions that she’d already answered _five fucking times_. Or trivial shit that, really?  _You’re bothering me with this, really_?

She’d stopped off to get herself some coffee before she headed back, too, and steam was still curling pleasantly out of the slit in the black plastic lid, filling the car with the scent of caramel and coffee. Basically just the best thing ever.

Except she was getting a feeling. It was a weird feeling, like a spot on her back that was itchy that was just out of reach, only it was her brain. And it was really starting to make her skin crawl.

There was an old dirt road just up ahead, and she flipped on the indicator and eased the black vehicle onto the gravel. It was all overgrown and shit, and she hoped to hell that no one was going to be coming in the opposite direction because there was no way the road was wide enough for the SUV and another vehicle.

Branches thunked against the outside of the car, making her wince every time. If she scratched the finish, she was going to  _owe_  Fury. Leave rustled and fell free, yeah. She was going to have to spend, like, an hour picking leaves off when she got back to the base.

She kept going, though, because as she kept going the nagging feeling in her brain eased. It was really easiest. Eventually, the road opened up into some kind of clearing with overgrown tire ruts sunk deep into the earth.

Darcy turned off the car and picked up her gun from the passenger seat before pushing the door open and stepping out onto a mixture of gravel and grass. The grassy parts were a little squishy, apparently this particular spot didn’t get a whole lot of sun to dry out the ground.

She stretched, looking around. The road kept going on the other side of the clearing, but there was absolutely no desire for her to keep going. No, this was where she was supposed to be.

“What the actual fuck,” she muttered, pocketing the keys and shutting the door before starting towards one side of the clearing.

She almost didn’t see him, but the black hair was so out of place that it stuck in her mind until her eyes made sense of the body. There was a man there, his long black hair snarled and filled with twigs and bits of fallen leaves. He was looking up at her, his face all bruised and cut. He looked like he’d lost a fight with the pine tree he was lying under.

“Help me,” he whispered.

She sighed, hands on her hips as she looked around. “How did you get here?” she asked, crouching down beside him to see if she could get a better look at some of his injuries.

She wasn’t entirely sure how it happened. One second she was crouching, the next she was on her back on the soggy ground with him looming over her. He was grinning, his green eyes filled with a sort of triumph. “I remember you,” he said. “You’ll do nicely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> squirrelstone:  
> Can you write Tasertricks and "Bones" by MSMR for the song prompt please?


	71. Darcy/Mack

It was hush money. Really, that was the only way to put it. But the government had paid Darcy a considerable sum to make up for “her involvement in certain dangerous extraterrestrial events.” Darcy wasn’t going to talk about it anyway, because she loved Thor and Jane and didn’t want to endanger them or cause anyone to intrude on their lives or anything. Didn’t mean she wasn’t more than happy to take the money.

And the first thing she did was buy a house. Okay, so it was a little house, and it needed a bunch of work, but Darcy wasn’t exactly a stranger to fixing things up. Cough, Jane’s lab equipment, cough. But it was nice to actually have a permanent dwelling place that she could call hers.

About three days after she moved in, she heard the sound of a heavy diesel engine in the driveway. That was… Weird. She’d had to buy an entire house-worth’s of furniture, but they weren’t due to arrive until the following day. Maybe they were early? That would be awesome. She was getting pretty sick of having to reinflate the air mattress she’d bought to use until her actual bed arrived.

She slid her feet into her flats and went outside, leaving the front door open behind her.

That… Was a U-Haul. That definitely wasn’t the truck from the furniture store. As she watched, a very tall man got out of the driver’s seat. He paused when he noticed her, confusion on his face.

Darcy waved brightly. “Hi!” she called, stepping down off her porch to walk over to him. “Are you moving in next door?” She gestured to the small house beside hers- it was in better shape, honestly, and the realtor had showed her both.

His brown eyes moved from her to her house, the followed her gesture to the one next door. “Oh, shit.” His voice was spine-vibratingly deep. “I’m sorry. A friend of mine set this up for me, this is actually the first time I’ve seen the place.”

“It’s nice.” She shrugged. “I saw both houses when I was house-shopping- I’m new here, too. Darcy.” Her hand came out, and he took it and shook it gently.

“My friends call me Mack.” He had a nice smile.

“Well, Mack, it is hotter than balls out here. Why don’t I get some iced tea going, you move your truck, and then I help you move in.” She paused, glancing from him to the house. “Please tell me your power is already on, ‘cause it’s going to be miserable without AC.”

“It should be. At least… I hope so. That sounds like a great idea, Darcy.” He flashed her another smile, and she basically had to smile, too. He pulled off the open plaid shirt he was wearing over a white sleeveless undershirt as he turned back towards the truck, and Darcy’s grin grew. She’d be calling Jane later to tell her that she’d definitely hit the hot-neighbour jackpot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 16) brand new neighbours au  
> This has been turned into an actual fic (with smut) [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3714004).


	72. Darcy/Magneto

_This_  was not the plan. Travelling back to the past, sure. Meeting up with Charles (and she was so calling him Charles now, even after she got back), absolutely. He’d poked around in her brain, determined she was there for a good reason, everything was on track.

Being captured, not entirely the plan. Running into  _Magneto_  while she was getting herself uncaptured was  _definitely_  not in the plan. At least he hadn’t killed her, though. That was… That was pretty awesome. The jury was still out on whether or not he believed her on the whole time-traveling, super important mission thing, but he wasn’t actively killing her. And she  _technically_  wasn’t a prisoner, what with the whole not being restrained thing.

So she wasn’t dead. She wasn’t a prisoner. What she was, was still under discussion.

“You could get me back to Charles,” she suggested, not for the first time. They were sitting in a diner, actually getting something to eat. Apparently the villain-on-the-go (anti-hero-on-the-go?) didn’t do a whole lot of cooking. “I’ll tell him you took me on an absolutely lovely date and were a perfect gentleman the whole time.”

He actually smiled at that, which surprised her. Erik (and she was totally calling him Erik when she got back, too) was a little intense. “Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?”

“Wasn’t that your story?” The smile remained, though.

“No. My story is from-the-future. This is the same universe, just, you know, a long time before I was born.” She dipped a fry in her ketchup and ate it. “Seriously, ketchup tastes  _way_  better in the past. Oh!” Her eyes widened as she realized why. “Corn syrup hasn’t infiltrated everything yet. Sugar tastes way better.”

“You should try the pie, then.”

Her eyebrows lifted, and a smile spread across her own face. “Careful, Erik, or I really am going to start thinking this is a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lucid-dreamer-dreams:  
> “Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?”
> 
> Okay, seriously, I was looking for an excuse to write these two. Thank you, YAY!!!!!


	73. Darcy/Magneto 2

So it turned out that Erik actually believed her. Which was pretty awesome. And then the whole helping her- that was pretty cool, too. And the follow-up night they spent in the hotel was pretty mind-blowing.

But, inevitably, it was time to go back. They’d be sending the bridge back for her at the precisely 5:32 on Thursday evening in a little maintenance shack near the Lincoln Memorial.

And Darcy was pretty damn sure that Charles was going to meet her in the general vicinity and make sure no one “accidentally” came upon them while she was, you know, travelling through time.

They were eating a late lunch in the hotel dining room. Well, they  _had_  eaten. The food was gone, and now they were lingering, neither particularly wanting to go.

“Please, don’t leave,” Darcy said, looking up from where she was tracing a finger through the condensation on the outside of her water glass. “Come with me. Charles is, like, your BFF. I’m pretty positive he misses you as much as you miss him.”

There was a flash of pain across his face, a knowing in his eyes. “Our ideals are too different.“ She knew he didn’t have a problem with  _humans_ \- as proven numerous times the night before. He had a problem with pretending to be something he wasn’t so that those too narrow-minded to accept someone who was  _different_ wouldn’t be made  _uncomfortable_. Which, to be honest, Darcy kinda got.

She sighed. “Yeah. I know.”

“Do we meet again?” He was looking at his own glass, forcing an air of lightness that she knew he didn’t feel.

“Yeah, actually, we… do. Although this explains the way you were looking at me.” A fond familiarity, like he’d known her. Which, of course, he had.

He looked at her as he stood, reaching down to lift her hand off of the table and press a warm kiss against the inside of her wrist. “Then I’ll look forward to it.”

She watched him walk out, unable to keep herself from staring at the way his ass fit in his pants, and let out a long sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lucid-dreamer-dreams:  
> “Please, don’t leave.”
> 
> A follow-up from the last one. Not too terribly angsty, though.


	74. Darcy/Magneto 3

Darcy was super great at acting like nothing out-of-the-ordinary was happening. Like, just  _super_  great. If it was an Olympic sport, she would have taken all three medals.

Which was why, when Erik took her hand and started heading out of the office building, she wrapped her other hand around his elbow and walked along with him like they were totally a busy young couple who had somewhere to be.

To be fair, they were busy and had somewhere to be. Namely, not in the building when Mr. Whatsisname found out that certain things were missing from his office.

Once through glass door, Darcy turned to face Erik, her eyes darting both ways up the sidewalk. “What’s the plan now?” she asked quietly, reaching up on her toes to give him a quick kiss.

“If it was just me, I’d fly out of here.” There was a rueful expression on his face as she settled back on her heels.

She made a face. “Sorry I’m such an inconvenience to you.” The sarcasm dripping from her voice made him smile.

“I have an idea.” He started walking down the sidewalk and she fell in step beside him. Nothing was happening, just a young couple out for a stroll.  _Super great_.

After a little bit, he stopped. “This one.”

Darcy stopped by his side and looked up at him. His eyes were trained on the car parked in front of them. “Are you serious right now? Stealing a car isn’t exactly on my list of marketable skills.”

He gave her a small smile before turning his attention to the car. The locks audibly lifted, and he bent forward and opened the passenger side door for her, gesturing with a flourish.

Her eyebrows raised as she climbed in, settling back in the seat. It was a nice car. The inside was all shiny blue leather, the seat was well-padded and comfortable. She watched him walk around the front of the car and open the driver’s side door to slide in. He looked good doing it, too.

He smiled at her, and the car just started moving. Like, no key, no engine noise, just… Car started moving. Her eyes widened as she looked at Erik, and he just smiled at her, not even watching the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lucid-dreamer-dreams:  
> Arabella by Arctic Monkeys - Erik Lehnsherr/Darcy Lewis


	75. Darcy/Magneto 4

Darcy felt the bracelet around her wrist shift. After just a second, it happened again. She fought the urge to look up and look for Erik. He was there somewhere, that much was obvious, but…

No. Now wasn’t a good time.

Charles picked up on her distraction easily. His hand came out and closed over her forearm gently, like he was just making sure he had her attention. “He’s here, isn’t he?”

She nodded as she looked down to where he was sitting in his wheelchair. She hated this, the going back and forth between them. She’d told Erik so last night, and he’d told her to just go. Although, judging by his presence somewhere nearby in the crowded mall, he might be regretting it, at least a little.

“I know this is very difficult for you,” Charles told her, his blue eyes full of a knowing sympathy.

She sighed. “Get out of my head, Charles.” She stopped for a second, her eyes narrowing as a particular memory came to mind. “The first time we met in my time, I said that to you and you sort of laughed. Guess I know why.”

“He loves you, you know. It’s killing him that you’re with me right now.” He spoke as though it was a certainty, even though Erik was no doubt wearing the helmet that would keep Charles out of his thoughts.

Her eyes came back to his, wide with surprise. “Do what now?” The slightly sad smile on his face reinforced what he’d just said. “Yeah.” Darcy shrugged and shook her head. “He loves you too. Now we’re both… here.”

His grip shifted from her forearm to her hand, and he pulled it close to kiss her palm. “It’s too late for me, Darcy. I don’t believe it is for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KIND OF.  
> anonymous:  
> Erik Lehnsherr/Darcy Lewis - Point of No Return (Phantom of the Opera) or Roxanne (Moulin Rouge)  
> I went with El Tango de Roxanne.


	76. Darcy/Magneto 5

Darcy would never forget the first time she met Erik. Magneto. Whatever. It had been an Avengers thing, they needed someone to talk to him about- well, fuck, _that_  she didn’t remember. But her political science degree (and years of wading through conversational bullshit) made her the best choice to have an actual conversation with the man. It was either that, or go to Charles Xavier for a favor. Which, hey, Darcy- guess who else we need you to talk to when you have a moment!

She wasn’t entirely sure what made her go to Erik first. Something had drawn her to him. But, thanks to the SHIELD connections and probably some of Tony’s money, she was admitted to the top-secret, super-secure prison they were holding him at. She wasn’t allowed any metal on her person  _at all_  when she went to talk to him, despite the fact that they’d be separated by ballistics glass at all times. But whatever.

He’d laughed when he’d first seen her. Just sat back and laughed and laughed. When she’d asked why, he’d said, “Even after all this time… you’ll find out soon, Darcy Lewis.” And this before she’d even introduced herself. Which was a little creepy. But she’d still found herself wanting to be on the other side of the glass  _with_  him.

He’d been very cooperative, actually. So much so that when she’d later met Charles, she’d commented on it, and received a very stoic, “I’m not surprised,” in response.

She did end up finding out not too long after that. Tony and Charles had cahooted to send her back in time 40 years. She came across him in the middle of a parking lot, just out of the blue. He was walking one way, she was walking another, and her eyes had fallen on his.

She recognized him right away. He’d changed considerably physically in the last forty years, of course, but she  _knew_. “Erik?”

He’d come to a full stop, hands already raising in front of him as he stared down at her. They’d stared at each other for a tense few seconds as Darcy realized that maybe surprising him in a parking lot full of heavy metal objects might not have been the  _best_  idea, and he’d frowned. “You seem familiar, do I know you?”

“Well…” Darcy shrugged. “Not yet. But in about forty years, you and I meet, and you call me by name before I introduce myself.” She made a face. “Like I just did with you. Sorry. It’s a little creepy.”

Erik held out his hand for hers, and she took it, his long fingers closing around hers. He raised it to his lips, and she could only stare, transfixed, as his lips lowered and brushed against her skin.

Neither noticed the red shimmer in the early morning sun, a line connecting the smallest of their fingers together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lucid-dreamer-dreams:  
> the Red String of Fate, Darcy/Magneto


	77. Darcy/Magneto 6

Darcy wasn’t in the past for long enough, not  _nearly_  long enough.

But then again, it was just long enough. Long enough to fall in bed with Erik and have the most mind-blowing sex of her life. Long enough to consider that maybe the early 70s wasn’t such a bad place to be. Long enough to fall…

Leaving was hard. Heartbreaking.  _Impossible_. But she did. Not that she really had a choice. The time machine thing was coming for her whether she wanted it to or not. And the first night she was back in her proper time was spent buried at the bottom of a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, clutching a bottle of tequila, an ever-growing mound of tissues beside her.

While she’d been away, though, Charles had thoughtfully added her to Erik’s automatically approved, no questions asked visitors list. She was still searched for metal when she showed up, though. Well, that wasn’t  _really_  a surprise.

It was weird seeing him like this again. His eyes lit up as she came in the room, and this time she understood. Darcy sighed, standing on the other side of the thick plexi-glass, watching him. “Well…” She sank to a sitting position, legs crossed in front of her, slumped forward with her elbows on her knees. “We met. In a parking lot. You kissed my hand, and I kinda… Fell in love.”

He nodded, sitting on a chair on the other side of the glass, his own elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward to talk to her. “Charles believes we are soulmates, of a sort.”

That was interesting information to have. She hadn’t had a whole lot of contact with past-Charles. “Does this mean I see you again? I mean, obviously…” She gestured to the glass between them. “Obviously I see you again. But you’re, you know, there… And I’m… here.” She sighed. “Okay, seriously. This fucking sucks.”

Erik smiled then, and his smile was just the same. It broke her heart just a little more. “We do. And I do something so unthinkable…” He shook his head, the smile slipping away from his face. “I can’t even look at you without feeling the old guilt.”

It was Darcy’s turn to shake her head. “No, you… I don’t think that could happen.” She stared hard at him, seeing the guilt weighing down his shoulders. “That’s not possible, Erik.”

“It’s one of the reasons Charles will never forgive me.”

“And you’re just… Not gonna tell me what it is?” Her eyes narrowed as she watched him.

“No.” There was a hard look in his eyes. “Because I know what would happen if I did, and I would have as much time with you as I could. Even knowing what happens, I wouldn’t change anything.” His smile grew a little bitter. “I’ve yet to see how it turns out. That, I believe, will be the final test.”

This was… Not what she’d come here for. Not that Darcy really knew why she’d visited him again, but… No. This was… Shaking her head, she pushed herself to her feet, turning and leaving the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lucid-dreamer-dreams:  
> Darcy/Magento; love (follow-up to Red String of Fate, please?)
> 
> Follow up to Chapter 76


	78. Darcy/Magneto 7

Erik was carefully holding himself apart from her. He was wearing “normal” clothes, which was to say he wasn’t wearing the metal suit he could levitate in. It was a risk, of course, if someone spotted him there would be trouble and he couldn’t just get out of there.

But the fact that he was standing there in jeans and a turtleneck in the middle of a relatively busy park meant that he was there to see  _her_. Darcy glanced around. She knew that Charles wasn’t that far off, and likewise Hank would be close by, but no one seemed to be paying them any attention.

She walked across the grass, her eyes steady on his. He looked… Worried. Troubled. “Hi,” she greeted quietly when she was close enough that she had to tilt her head back to continue looking up at him.

“Hi.” He was studying her like he was trying to see what was going on in her mind. “Charles was able to help you?”

She nodded, making a face. Yes. Charles had definitely been able to get her mind back in order, which made everything… Complicated. That was an understatement. She wasn’t really surprised that Erik already knew, she knew they communicated somehow, although the specifics on that weren’t entirely clear, and she probably didn’t want to know. “Come take a walk with me.”

“Won’t it alert the others?” His blue eyes lifted from hers, scanning for any trace of the people she was there with.

“Dude, I’m pretty sure Charles knows exactly what the fuck is going on, which is why he’s not exactly in the general vicinity.” Darcy held her hand out, and after just a second he took it. She laced her fingers in his, and together they started walking.

They weren’t really going anywhere in particular, just… Away. Neither really said anything. At least, not until they reached a small copse of trees and Erik stopped, his hold on her hand stopping her next to him.

He turned to look down at her, the worry in his eyes pretty much broke her heart. “How is it?”

She looked up at him and found herself shaking her head. “I don’t wanna talk about it, Erik. Just…” She slipped her hand from his, wrapping them around his waist and resting her head against the front of his shoulder. “Just do this for a while.”

His arms came around her as well, and she felt his lips move across the top of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, letting herself get entirely lost in the moment. For right now, just for right now, everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lucid-dreamer-dreams:  
> Non-smutty, pro-cuddly Magento/Darcy to Over the Rainbow by Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole
> 
> For fucking reals, this song is so beautiful. And just a bit melancholy, I think? So this happened. This follows after Fly Away.


	79. Darcy/Magneto 8

Darcy leaned her head against Erik’s shoulder. She watched everyone moving around the part around them, completely unaware who was sitting on the bench. Of course, that was probably for the best, chances were pretty good that they wouldn’t be sitting there like that if anyone  _did_  know who she was.

It was peaceful here, lost in the anonymity of the park. This had definitely become her favorite thing to do while she was staying in the past. “Can Charles do groups of people at the same time?” She tucked her hand around his upper arm.

“Yes, of course.” There was a note of questioning in his voice. “Why?”

“I’ve got one word for you: sing-along!”

There was absolute silence from beside her for a second, and then Erik’s shoulder started shaking under her head. “A sing-along?” he asked through his laughter.

“Yeah!” She sat up so that she wasn’t getting jostled around by his mirth, resting her back against the hard wooden bench. “In my time they have these things called flash mobs. Usually it’s dancing, but, like, imagine the park turned into one big, gigantic…” Something that would translate. “Disney musical or something.” She thought for a second, looking over at him. “Hey, maybe you’re who starts flash mobs being a thing.”

He snorted at that. Yeah, she had to agree. Erik wasn’t really a flash mob kind of guy. “Somehow I doubt that.”

“Yeah, but now I have mental images of you leading flash mobs in Grand Central Station, and it’s excellent.” She grinned, leaning forward to press her mouth against the curve of his lips.

He shook his head a little as she pulled back, settling his arm around her shoulders. “How much longer before you have to leave?”

“Long enough to walk over and get something to eat.” Darcy slid off the bench and got to her feet, looking down at him expectantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lucid-dreamer-dreams:  
> “I’ve got one word for you: sing-along!” Darcy/Magneto


	80. Darcy/Magneto 9

Darcy’s eyebrows came together a little as she peered into the group that was milling around the exit to the corn maze. “How the fuck do I lose someone so tall?” she muttered to herself. It was dark, of course, but there was plenty of light provided by the lights that loomed up over the picnic tables that were clustered about.

“Erik?” she called softly. She wasn’t as worried about calling attention to them as she had been when they were in his time. As far as everyone who cared knew, Erik Lehnsherr was locked up in some super secret location somewhere, and that hadn’t changed.

She was going to have to go in after him, wasn’t she? She totally was. Sighing, Darcy gripped her styrofoam cup of hot chocolate a little tighter and waded through the loose press of bodies towards the exit to the maze. It was a group of some sort, like a gaming group or something, and she’d sort of gotten swept along with them as they’d made their way through the maze, laughing and talking. On the one hand, she’d heard  _all_  about the local vampire politics. On the other hand, she was missing a certain German she’d actually come here with.

She  _had_  a flashlight, but she didn’t really need it. The moon was bright overhead, and the lights from outside the maze were enough to see by, although it got a little shadowy as she moved further into the thing.

She tried retracing her steps, but it was a little difficult. Being short, she’d sort of been lost in the middle of the group and hadn’t been able to pay that close attention to which twists and turns they’d made.

“Erik?” she called again. They were  _really_  going to have to get him a phone. Then she could just GPS her way to him. “Erik?”

She heard movement, footsteps across the dry ground. It might not be Erik, but… She made a left, moving towards where the noise was coming from. Nope, it was Erik walking towards her in his long, dark coat, looking distinctly less-than-pleased.

Darcy stopped, a grin turning up the corners of her mouth, eyebrows raising. She rested her free hand on her hip as she looked up at him. “What happened to you?”

“I was looking at the stars. I can’t see them out at the mansion.” He glanced upwards. There was still some light pollution out here, but nothing like there was in the city.

“Oh my god. I’m telling Charles you got lost in the maze.”

He drew himself up a little straighter. “I wasn’t lost, I was enjoying the night sky.”

Her grin grew, and she moved over to him, offering him her hot chocolate. “Okay. I believe you. Thousands wouldn’t, but I’m sure Charles _totally_  will.”

There was no missing the was his features drew down, even in the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ucid-dreamer-dreams:  
> Darcy/Erik and number 3 (corn maze).
> 
> I usually have her going back in time, but this time past!Erik's in the present because reasons.


	81. Darcy/Matt

Darcy sat on the edge of the roof, feet dangling down over the side, a paper cup of coffee in her hand. She watched the man in red and black walk towards her, mask obscuring the upper half of his face. He sat down beside her, and she offered him the cup. “Do you ever sleep?”

He smiled. He had a great smile. She loved it when she could see the smile touching his eyes, but that wasn’t really an option when he was all dressed up in his super suit. “Sometimes. You’re out here too, though.”

“Yeah.“ She shrugged, watching him take a drink. She knew he would know about the nightmares. Something about the way she smelled after she woke up in a cold sweat? “Having trouble sleeping tonight.”

“Isn’t the coffee a little counter-intuitive, then?”

“Maybe. But you like it better than the hot chocolate they have here.” Darcy leaned over until her head was resting against his shoulder. She knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to parkour off into the night.

“Foggy keeps asking when you’re going to come by the office again.” His hand slid across her back until it was resting on her hip. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable position, what with all the body armor, but it was what she could get.

She smiled, shifting her head against him. “I’ll bake some of those thumbprint cookies when I get home, bring them by this morning.” She paused, making a face. “Later this morning.”

She felt him still against her, knew that their stolen moment was coming to an end. Sitting straight up again, she turned towards him. Fingertips moved over the side of her neck as he leaned over to give her a quick kiss. “Be careful, Matt.”

He just offered her that cocky smile before heading back off into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lunaemoth:  
> 1) things you said at 1 am


	82. Darcy/Matt 2

Claire had called her. Claire had called, because of course Matt sure as shit hadn’t. It was the middle of the night, and Darcy had thrown some clothes on and got over to Matt’s apartment just as quickly as she could.

Darcy let herself into the apartment with her key. Claire was still there when she arrived, just picking up the mess of swabs and gauze before taking off her gloves. She waited until the cleanup was complete, not wanting to get in the way.

“Thanks,” came out quietly, almost a whisper as Claire got to her feet, moving towards the door.

The other woman nodded, shooting a glance over her shoulder to where Matt was stretched out on his couch, and gave Darcy a strained sort of smile before she left.

Letting out a long sigh, she moved over to the couch. Matt’s eyes were closed but he was awake, looking absolutely miserable as he lay there, covered in stitches and antiseptic.

She sank to the floor, looking over into his face. “So there’s this guy I work with, his name is Tony, and he’s sort of like an inventor? He’s actually made body armor before. Like… Actual body armor.” This wasn’t the first time this had come up. “For Captain America, so you know that shit is built to last.”

Matt shook his head. “No.” That was always his answer. “He has more important things to worry about.”

Darcy sighed again, turning away from him to lean back against the front of the couch, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. “You are important,” she told him quietly. “And not just to me.” Tears stung her eyes. This was the worst part of loving someone like Matt. Knowing that this was going to happen again, and that the next time she might be called down to the morgue instead of his apartment.

His fingers brushed over her shoulder, combing through her hair. “Darcy…” Of course he probably smelled the salt from her tears.

“You’re the one bleeding, yet I’m the one crying.” She shook her head, shaking off his hand and reaching up to impatiently dash the tears away. “I need you to not die, okay? I mean, I know you have a lot going on right now to worry about what I have going on, but I just… Really need you to not die.”

There was no answer for a while, just the sound of the city moving on outside. “I’m looking into body armor,” he replied, voice hushed. This time when his hand brushed over her shoulder, she didn’t shake him away. Instead she reached up to rest her hand over his. She didn’t say anything, just sat there against his couch, futilely wishing that there wouldn’t be a next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> I loved your Darcy/Matt ficlet, and I was wondering if you could do one for them with the prompt: "You're the one bleeding, yet I'm the one crying."


	83. Darcy/Matt 3

“I heard that!” Darcy yelled from her side of the office. It was late, it was dark. Technically the office was closed for the day, but since it had sort of become an after-hours meeting place for Clint and Matt when they wanted to, you know, get together and storm the night or whatever the fuck they were calling it. This was  _also_ one of the few times (that he wasn’t injured) that Darcy got some time with Matt where he  _wasn’t_  trying to hide his identity, so there was some overlap.

“Heard what?” Clint asked, voice full of innocence.

“Don’t even pull that shit with me, I know where you sleep.  _Someone_ ,” she gave Clint a pointed look, “just said, and I quote, ‘This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.’" Her hands came up to rest on her hips. “Do you  _want_  me to tell Wanda what you’re  _actually_  doing when you tell her you’re going out for a drink with a friend?”

“We had a drink!” Clint protested.

“And  _you_.” Her attention moved to Matt, she knew he’d be able to hear the slightly different direction of her voice when she spoke. Whispered, actually, just barely audible to  _her_. He’d hear it, of course. “You might want to rethink your plan of attack, too, because it’s hard to suck your dick when you’re broken.”

He smiled at that. “And you worry.”

“Damn straight I worry,” she replied at her normal volume. Which was actually the real reason. “Seriously, the two of you have racked up more concussions than a football team, and that’s  _just in the time I’ve known you_.”

“I’ll be careful,” he promised, and she sighed. 

“Yeah. You’re always careful.” Darcy made a face as she walked over stopping just beside his chair. His arm went around her back, he rested his head against her side. “Be more careful. And maybe come up with a plan that doesn’t involve a 50-foot drop and a dubiously-secured rope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”


	84. Darcy/Matt 4

Matt could always tell how much Darcy was wearing. Not the colors or anything like that obviously, but apparently exactly what  _kind_  of fabric she was wearing, and how much of it she had on.

He liked silk the most for outer clothes- liked the way it sounded, liked the way it felt when he touched her. He liked satin the most for underwear, he said lace felt too scratchy to him. So one day, on her after-hours trip to his office, Darcy wore a long silk coat fastened securely around her and satin lingerie underneath. She felt a lot like she was going to slip out of her seat on the drive over, but it was totally worth it when she opened the door and stepped into the office to find him waiting there for her, a look of intense concentration on his face.

He didn’t say anything at first, just moved over to her and skimmed his fingers up her arm, along the sleeve of the coat. There was an almost reverential look on his face, like he couldn’t believe this was happening. Or, more likely, that he didn’t believe he deserved it.

“It’s not my birthday,” he said, voice purposely light as his fingers moved across her shoulder. He dipped around in front of her neck, and started across the other shoulder.

“Nope. But… I have this boyfriend who’s all self-sacrificing and do-gooding on a daily basis without asking for anything in return, so… I thought you’d like it?”

Matt nodded, continuing his gentle exploration. At last, his finger traced down her hand and fell to his side like he wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed.

“If you take it off, I’ll tell you exactly what my lingerie looks like.” Darcy reached out and took his hand, squeezing her fingers lightly between his.

He tilted his head just a little. “I…” Hesitation, though.

“You heard me.” She stepped towards him until the silk of her coat was brushing against the smooth cotton of his shirt. His jacket was gone, no doubt slung over the back of the chair in his office. “Take. It. Off.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mistressellariasand:  
> “You heard me. Take. It. Off.”
> 
> Okay, so he has the enhanced sense of smell and can tell when people are turned on, most likely. But what about being able to hear what people are wearing? Fabric sounds very different when it rubs against itself or against skin.


	85. Darcy/Matt 5

Darcy pushed her way into the office, tossing a wave to Karen. Who appeared to be… arguing with a fax machine that was probably older than she was. After a second, it became clear the fax machine was winning, so Darcy just kept on going. Matt would know she was in the building by now, a combination of her heartrate and her scent.

She knocked briefly on Matt’s office door, more for Karen’s benefit than anything else, then opened it and went inside.

Matt always looked great in a suit, even with that fresh abrasion across his cheekbone. He was wearing his round, dark glasses, his fingers moving over deftly over something he was reading. He knew she was there, so she closed the door as quietly as she could, waiting until he was finished. Eventually, though, he lifted his head to face her.

“Hi,” she greeted, moving through his office.

He seemed to know what was coming, and pulled his chair away from his desk to make room for her. A smile lit up his entire face as she settled down across his thighs, arms looped loosely around his neck. “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but you usually don’t come down this way during the week.”

“Well, I wanted to see you.” She sighed, shifting her head back and forth as she stared at the dark glasses that obscured his beautiful eyes. “And I have an offer from SI.”

“For me?”

“Well, for you and Foggy. I didn’t think you’d go for it, but I said I’d at least present the idea.” She paused for a moment. “And Karen, if that’s a concern.”

He nodded. “We should probably have a proper business meeting about it.”

Darcy made a face. “Yeah, I guess. But that means that I’ll have to get up so you can be all professional, and I haven’t seen you in about a week and a half.” She wasn’t bitter, not really. Matt was  _busy_. Between his law practice and his vigilante-ism at night, he didn’t really tend to have a whole lot of time to himself. Which meant even less for her.

“Well, maybe not  _right_  now…”

She knew he knew her hands were coming towards his face. He held still so she could take off the glasses and rest them on his desk beside her. She laid her hand along the side of his cheek, his own fingers moving up to comb through her hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Darcy Lewis/Matt Murdock sunglasses


	86. Darcy/Natasha

Darcy hadn’t really wanted to go. Jane had talked her into it, though. All, “If you don’t go, you’ll regret it.” Yeah, maybe. But, standing in the honestly sadly-decorated gym, she was kinda starting to regret her decision.

Apathy best described her feelings about catching up with everyone she used to know. This was the digital age. If she’d been that interested in keeping up with the people she’d used to know, she would have found them on Facebook or Twitter or whatever.

No, she was pretty sure this was just Jane’s well-meaning attempts to get her away from work. Right. Like Jane had any room to talk. Darcy wasn’t the one who had to be slung up over the shoulder of some huge blond guy to get her out of the lab for meals.

The flash of red caught her eye. That was a very unique color, particular to only one person Darcy had ever met. She turned to stare in that direction, and she couldn’t help but smile as Nat walked towards her, gorgeous in a black dress.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I’m your backup. Well, technically I’m your date. Stark doesn’t want anyone wandering around on their own, especially those of the non-superhero variety, and so I’m here.” Nat smiled as well, reaching up to brush a strand of hair off of Darcy’s shoulder.

“That is awesome. Now at least I’ll have someone to talk to.”

“If you don’t want to be here…” Those green eyes fastened on her, slightly reproving.

“Yeah. Not really. Jane was all, ‘You should totally go!’ Now I’m kinda wishing I was still at home in my jammies with the TV on.”

“That dress is too sexy to waste.” There was clear appreciation in Nat’s eyes. “Why don’t we go out for a drink somewhere, and we can do that other part afterwards.”

That sounded way better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 48) meeting again at a high school reunion au


	87. Darcy/Natasha 2

The nightmares didn’t happen every night. Not even every week. It was just about long enough between each time it happened that Darcy would start to think that maybe that last one really was the last one. Maybe there just wouldn’t be anymore.

But it never failed. Nat would sit straight up like she’d never been sleeping at all, breath rasping, eyes scanning the room like she expected  _something_.

And Darcy knew better than to ask. She knew that whatever haunted her girlfriend’s dreams wasn’t something she would share with Darcy. Those were memories to be shared with other people who  _knew_. And that was okay.

“Nightmare again?” Darcy asked quietly as Nat’s abrupt shift of position woke her up.

There was a nod, barely visible in the dim light. Darcy pushed herself to a sitting position too, wrapping herself around her girlfriend. One leg behind her back, one leg under the space between her raised knees and the bed, so close that Nat’s arm pressed into her front. One arm hugged her, as close as she could, the other reached out until she was holding Nat’s wrist, gripping it tightly.

“I’m here,” Darcy whispered in the dark, her lips moving over the side of Nat’s silky hair. “It’s just you and me.”

Nat leaned her head over, resting the side of her head against Darcy’s forehead. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 16) things you said with no space between us


	88. Darcy/Natasha 3

“Next time?” Darcy started, eyes tightly shut as she clung to the wall bordering the narrow frame of ledge she was currently perched on. “Next time one of you suggests taking the non-super-hero on one of your little team-bonding missions, I am staying the fuck home with my jammies and just the biggest cup of hot chocolate I can make myself. Because something  _always_  happens, and I find myself with my life in danger  _again._ ”

She opened her eyes in time to see Nat’s lips twitch up into a smile. Nat was already standing on the more secure roof, waiting for Darcy to get close enough to pull her up as well.

Of course, that wasn’t actually going to happen unless Darcy, you know, moved. Which would involve moving. Across the ledge. The ledge that was probably thirty storeys off the ground. “Just start moving. Move as slowly as you want to, as long as you’re moving.”

“Yeah.” Darcy crept forward about a millimeter. “So, I’ve been thinking.” Another millimeter. “And I’ve realized that we never go out.”

“We’re out right now.” Darcy  _knew_  that Nat’s amused-face was a purposeful show of confidence so Darcy wouldn’t freak out more, but still.

“Yeah. But, see… I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified.” She moved just slightly closer. “The first part is awesome. I am all about that. The second part, though…” She was babbling, but it was distracting her from her predicament, allowing her to inch forward. “We could lose the second part. Like, if we went out for pizza. Pizza’s a lot less terrifying.”

“You don’t really like pizza.”

“No, I don’t. But you don’t like cheeseburgers, and I am totally willing to compromise.” Darcy swallowed. “Especially if it means less death-defying rooftop crossings.

“We could go out to an actual restaurant,” came the suggestion, one eyebrow arched.

“Sure. Just as soon as I get over there, let’s do that.” She was  _almost_  there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wispymagic:  
> “I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified.” - Natasha/Darcy.


	89. Darcy/Pepper/Tony

“Don’t you ever do that again!” In public, Tony and Pepper were a united front. They unequivocally supported everything the other did.

In public.

In private, though, that was a different matter. Hearing Pepper say that very sentence when Darcy walked through the front door of their apartment wasn’t anything new or different. Nor was Tony’s non-committal pseudo-agreement.

Darcy moved her way through the apartment to the kitchen where Pepper and Tony were. Tony was at the stove, often a sign of guilt, and Pepper was standing a few feet away with her hands on her hips.

She took them in for a second, then let out a sigh, continuing in to have a seat at the bar. “Is this something I’m going to have to clean up tomorrow?” Normally when she stopped by their apartment after work, she greeted one or both with a kiss, but she didn’t exactly want to put herself in the middle of their… whatever.

Pepper let out an exasperated sigh, turning to look over at Darcy. “No, this is… This is a private thing.”

A private thing? Darcy’s eyebrows went up. That didn’t sound… Like a good thing? Maybe? Private between the two of them? “Okay…”

“No…” Pepper sighed again, giving Tony another glare. “He moved you in with us. All of your stuff is either here or in storage.”

Well. That was interesting. She’d been seeing the two of them seriously for a while, but no one had mentioned moving in at all. “I mean, if it’s here, I guess we don’t have to worry about it happening again, but, like… Yeah. I thought we agreed, big decisions need to be discussed.”

“Did you not want to move in?” Tony asked, glancing over his shoulder to look at Darcy. There was worry in his eyes, like he thought she might actually say no.

“That’s not the point, and you know it!” Pepper snapped, pulling his attention back to her.

It was Darcy’s turn to sigh. “I’m going to bed.” It had been a long day. Fury had been… Well, he had his  _specifications_ , and it was Darcy’s job to listen to them. She slid off of the tall stool and headed off down the hall to the master bedroom.

There were no more raised voices, she noted as she got completely undressed before slipping into bed. It wasn’t too long after that when Tony and Pepper came into the room, also undressed, and climbed into bed on either side of her. “We’ll talk about it later,” Pepper told her, somehow making that a soothing sentence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony/Darcy/Pepper:  
> “Don’t you ever do that again!”


	90. Darcy/Pietro

Darcy made a face at her phone, not that he would see it. “Why am  _I_  always the welcoming committee?” she complained.

It was rhetorical, but Tony answered anyway. “It’s those big…”

“Hey!”

He snickered, continuing like she hadn’t cut him off. “…eyes of yours, you come off very welcoming.”

“Bite me.”

“Love to, honey. Just as soon as you talk to Pepper about arranging a threesome. If you ask me, I think she thinks you’re hot, she’s just worried that you would be a bad influence.” She could practically  _hear_  the air quotes in his voice.

Darcy rolled her eyes. “How far out are you?”

“About… Ten minutes?” There was a purposely innocent note to his voice.

“Tony…”

He hung up before she could give him a piece of her mind. And the next time she saw him, there would be new people, and he knew she wasn’t likely to yell at him in front of new people. It might scare them away.

“Fuck. Hey, JARVIS? Did he at least warn you to get some rooms ready?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, that’s something.” Darcy sighed. She tossed her phone onto bed and swung her feet over the edge to get up, making sure that she was wearing something at least slightly presentable. It was her “job” to welcome new Avengers people, show them around the tower, answer questions, and generally make them think they’d have a good time while they were there. She’d done it… Twice, before. No, three times. Rhodey totally counted.

She grabbed a sweater before making her way up to the landing pad. The quinjet stirred up a lot of air, it got all chilly and shit. Once outside, she sat down, leaning against the outer wall, and waited.

It wasn’t too long before the quinjet shimmered into view, lowering to the roof below. Darcy pulled her hair back into a makeshift ponytail with her hand, holding it until it stopped being quite so blowy up there. She got to her feet as the ramp at the back opened, making her way over there.

There was a bit of a blur, and it felt like something pushed her enough to set her off balance. She was falling, heading directly for an elbow-meets-cement type of experience, but then the blur again, and she was caught in someone’s arms before she got there.

He was tall, lean, blond, and looking infinitely amused. “So sorry,” he told her in some kind of accent she would place as eastern European. “It is nice to be on the ground again.”

Huh. That was interesting. That was  _very_  interesting. Because those words, those exact words, looped around her left ankle. “Well,” she told him, looking up into piercing blue eyes. “Welcome to New York.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 1) soulmates au


	91. Darcy/Pietro 2

Moving was such a hassle. But apparently the Avengers weren’t doing Manhattan anymore, and since Darcy was working for? with? them, she had to move.

Erik, though. She was looking forward to seeing Erik again.

And there were new people? Other than Sam and James, who she’d already met. Sam was actually helping her move, which was pretty fantastic. She had everything all packed up, it was just a matter of getting it all in the truck they were splitting and out to new!base, wherever that was.

Darcy slid the box back across the cargo space of the truck before jumping in after it. This. This was the worst part of moving. Unpacking was actually kinda awesome, and packing was kinda not, but the whole loading/offloading actual moving part? No thanks.

She’d just picked the box up again when there was a  _blur_  and suddenly she wasn’t holding it anymore. No, instead the box had joined the neat stack at the back of the truck, and a man was suddenly standing towards her.

There was only one person she knew of who could move like that. They hadn’t met yet, but Steve had filled her in over the phone. “You must be-”

“Pietro.” He was smiling, hands on his hips as he looked down at her. “I’m here to help.”

“Awesome.” It was awesome. Having someone who could load the truck up at super speed would help tremendously. Especially someone so hot. Not that she’d, you know, noticed. “Hang on, I’ve gotta do something real quick.” She went to turn away from him, but a hand on her arm stopped her.

“Tell me. I will do it faster.” His tone somehow made it all kinds of suggestive, and Darcy raised her eyebrows as she looked up at him.

“Well. This  _is_ going to be interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> So, I really loved your Darcy/Pietro, and was wandering if you'd do another to, "Hold on, I've gotta go do something real quick." Please?


	92. Darcy/Pietro 3

Darcy looked at the files spread across her desk and sighed. “I need a fucking raise,” she muttered to herself.There wasn’t enough money in the world for all the shit she had to deal with, simply because Fury had decided that it was under her purview.

She’d started out as the Avengers’ PR Manager, and now she was just… Their manager. And it was just so  _much_.

And this shit…

She rested her elbows on top of the cluttered desk, eyes closed as she rubbed circles on both of her temples. “I need a fucking raise,” she said again.

There was a knock at the door. Well, at least he wasn’t late. That was something. “Come in,” she called, and the door opened.

Pietro stepped into her office. He was one of the new guys. To be fair, most of the Avengers team was new, but she’d met most of them already. Rhodey was Tony’s BFF, Sam was Nat’s uncomplicated fuck, Vision was not-JARVIS, Bucky was Steve’s  _will-you-just-fuck-already_. But Pietro and Wanda were new.

“You wanted to see me?” Yeah, the accent was nice. He was looking at her expectantly, eyes wide and a small smile on his face.

“Hey. Yeah, have a seat.” She gestured to the padded chair across from her, and he settled himself into it. She folded her hands on top of the files and leaned forward a little to look at him. “Some of the base staff have been complaining about how much dust you stir up when you zoom around the base like the road-runner.” A grin lit up his face at that. And thank god for pop culture nights. Seriously.  _Something else Darcy organized, not that she was complaining_. “Yeah. That tells me that the custodial staff needs to get their shit together more than that you need to change anything, but apparently this was important enough to bring up to you…” She sighed, fighting the urge to rub her temples again. “I don’t even know if there’s anything you can do about it, other than move more slower…” She shook her head. “Which seems like total bullshit to me. It’s been suggested that you…” Darcy made a face, glancing at the paper under her hands as if to confirm that she had actually read it correctly. “That you attach feather dusters to your feet…”

The grin broadened at that. Pietro didn’t laugh a whole lot, but this seemed to amuse the fuck out of him. Which, to be fair, was a perfectly reasonable reaction. “That would be awkward.”

“I know. Honestly…” She shook her head again, letting out  _another_  sigh. “Honestly, I wouldn’t even worry about it. Seriously. But now I get to tell Fury I talked to you about it, and if he asks you, you can tell him that we had a meeting. Because bureaucracy.”

“It is important to waste our time?” He looked genuinely puzzled at that.

“Welcome to corporate America.” She watched him for a second. He looked better than he had when he’d first come in. You know, recovered from the bullet wounds and everything, but also happier, like he was just in a better place. A lot of the tension had eased from his shoulders. “Hey, while you’re here, how are you settling in? Is there anything you want or need that I can get for you?”

“There is something you can do for me.”

“Sure. Let me…” She shifted everything around until she came up with the pad of paper she used for writing  _everything_  down on. “What do you need?” Another quick search yielded her purple pen, and she clicked it, hovering over the paper, ready to write.

“A date.” 

She frowned at the paper, trying to work out what he meant. English wasn’t his first language, but he was really proficient with it. Still, sometimes things got a little lost in translation. “Like… Today’s date, or…”

A large hand came into her field of vision, plucking the pen from her grip and resting it on the desk beside the paper before curling around hers. “A date. With you.”

Oh.  _Oh_. She looked up to see him looking at her, eyebrows raised a little. “Um, yeah,” she blurted out, followed by a wince.  _Smooth_. “I mean… Yes. I’d love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bulmavegotaku:  
> Darcy/Pietro- feather duster


	93. Darcy/Pietro 4

After some flirtatious truck-packing, they were on the road. It was a little squishy crammed into the front of the moving truck between Sam and Pietro. They both… Worked out. Arms, shoulders… Not really comfortable. Seriously, it would have been  _way_  easier to just take a quinjet. Those fuckers were made for moving things around. People, cargo… Whatever. But no, now that the Avengers were part of SHIELD or whatever, the quinjets were all restricted to official SHIELD business. And apparently moving in one new Avenger and their handler wasn’t “official SHIELD business” enough.

Sorry. Manager. Not handler. Yeah, whatever. Darcy had no illusions of what her new job was. But the pay was good, and she’s probably appreciate well-muscled superheroes a little better when she wasn’t doing her very best can-of-sardines impression with them.

Eventually, Pietro lifted up his arm to rest it across the back of her seat. It wasn’t  _quite_  around her shoulders, but it was nice to have more room.

Sam glanced down at the dashboard. “Gonna have to get some more gas.”

Darcy made a face. “How is this possibly more cost-efficient than a quinjet? This thing gets, like, two miles to the gallon?”

Sam gave her one of his easy grins as he pulled the truck onto an offramp. They basically had their pick of gas stations, but he just pulled into the first one, bringing the truck to a stop beside the pump. His hand was on the door when he looked over at the other two occupants of the cab. “You guys want anything?”

“Orange juice, please,” Darcy answered.

“No, thank you.” As soon as the door closed behind him, though, Pietro reached down the hand that was on the back of the seat to pull against Darcy’s shoulder until she was settled back against him.

She settled against her side, her eyebrows raising as she turned to look behind her at him. “What’s that all about?”

“You look so uncomfortable, now you have more room.”

Technically she had  _less_  room on one side, but now didn’t seem like a good time to bring that up. Especially when he bent his head down until his lips were right beside her ear to say his next words. “Is there anything else you need help with?”

The low voice and that accent brought several things to mind pretty much immediately. “I don’t know, you’re probably  _too_ fast.”

He laughed at that, actually laughed. “Is that a challenge?”

When she turned towards him again, his face was dangerously close. Her eyes drifted to his lips before moving up to meet his own. “Would I challenge you?” She widened her eyes, putting on her best innocent look.

His expression indicated that he very much thought she  _would_  challenge him. And he was going to do something about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bulmavegotaku:  
> Darcy/Pietro "Bad Things" by Jace Everett
> 
> Follows chapter 91


	94. Darcy/Rhodey

Darcy had gone to Rhodey’s official retirement dinner thing where everyone had said super nice things about him and his service in the Air Force. And he’d worn his uniform, which was  _always_  a bonus.

After that, of course, Tony’d thrown a much smaller party back at HQ. Darcy had stayed for the first hour or two, but she’d been up since stupid o’clock that morning, and she slipped away early to go and get into bed. Not, you know, _her_  bed.

When Rhodey finally came back to his room, he didn’t notice her at first. The front door opening had woken her up- Darcy was a really light sleeper now- and she propped herself up on her elbows, sheets tucked over her breasts, watching him take off his uniform.

He braced himself a little unsteadily against the chest-of-drawers as he took off the almost painfully shiny black shoes.

“I am going to miss the uniform,” Darcy observed as she watched him.

Rhodey had definitely not been expecting her to be there. He started, freezing for a second to look up and see her lying in his bed. A smile covered his face as he took in the bare shoulders he could see. He straightened, unbuttoning the white shirt he’d been wearing under the jacket, revealing the white undershirt underneath.

She made a face. “Too many layers. Definitely not going to miss that.”

“Me neither.” Both shirts came off, and she let her eyes travel the planes of his bare upper body, not even bothering to hide the admiration she felt.

“Although… If I get to cuddle up every night with this, I’m probably not going to complain too much.”

He gave her a quick grin before stripping the rest of his clothes off. Instead of going around to the other side of the bed, though, he neared her side of the bed.

She spread her legs enough for him to settle between them, over the blanket, hands braced on the bed beside her as he pushed her down into the mattress. “We should stay in bed for at least a couple of days.”

Dark eyes bored into her in the dim light from the hall, and she nodded as she looked up at him. “At least.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honeywildandmannadew:  
> Darcy/your choice for "Talking Body" by Tove Lo


	95. Darcy/Rhodey 2

Darcy leaned over the bathroom counter, staring at her hair in the mirror while she kinda poked at it. Normally she was pretty live-and-let-live with her hair, one of the agreements she had with it when she realized how curly it was, in exchange to ever, ever take a brush to it, but James seemed to like her with her hair pulled back, and she was making an effort for him. So it was pulled back. And, like, more than just a going-for-a-run ponytail, she’d actually put time into her hair.

Her dress was perfect, though, black and slinky with just the right amount of cleavage. Her makeup game was pretty fierce, too. She was pretty much as ready as she was going to get.

Now she was just stalling.

James had some sort of Air Force thing, and his actual date had bailed at the last minute because of strep throat. He’d complained to Tony, who’d said he would take care of it, and then had capitalized on Darcy’s not-so-secret crush on one Colonel James Rhodes and told her she was going.

So James was waiting upstairs on the launchpad, probably in his uniform. And she had  _one_  shot at this.

Darcy took a deep breath and drew herself up to her full height, grabbing her clutch from the kitchen counter on the way out of the apartment. It was tempting to check through the contents again in the name of making sure everything was in there, but she’d already checked four times, and to do it again would just be procrastinating.

Tony was practically bouncing with excitement when she came out of her apartment. He grinned, eyes moving over her with a spark of appreciation in them. “Very nice. Although if he doesn’t go for it, you could come back here and…”

Jane stepped on his foot until he winced. “You look good, Darce.”

“Thank you.” Darcy pointedly focused on Jane. She’d already thanked Tony for setting the whole thing up, and now he was just kinda being an ass. “Wish me luck.”

“You won’t need it,” Jane said with a grin.

Making a face, Darcy set off down the hall for the elevator, which was conveniently waiting there for her. Probably had something to do with Tony. The ride down up to the roof take even longer than normal, her pulse racing in her throat the entire way.

James  _was_  wearing his uniform, she discovered as she stepped out. Which… Yeah. She couldn’t stop her smile as she moved across the roof, heels clicking on the cement.

He’d been looking at the quinjet like he’d been expecting her to come from there, but turned towards her at the noise. His eyes widened appreciatively. “Darcy?”

Her mind started moving about a mile a minute.  _This is a mistake, just turn around and go back upstairs, make something up, you’re going out for drinks with Pepper or something_ - “Tony told me you needed a date. I kinda… volunteered.” Well,  _that_  wasn’t entirely accurate, but…

“Wow.” He was smiling. That was a good wow. That was a confirmation of the right decision wow. He held out his arm, and she moved towards him, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow.

She looked up at him as they walked towards the small, black aircraft. Clint was going to fly them because he was… bored? Whatever. “Just so you know, this is the kind of date I’m hoping I’ll get a kiss at the end of.”

The look in his eyes suggested she might get a lot more than that, and she almost stumbled in her heels at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> missdarcygirl:  
> Darcy & Fitz...or Darcy & Rhodey. Good For You by Selena Gomez.


	96. Darcy/Rhodey 3

“Your boyfriend…” The sound carried clearly from the other side of the lab. Darcy wasn’t the only other occupant in the lab besides one Tony Stark, but really, there was literally no one else he could be talking about.

She rolled her eyes. “Here it goes,” she muttered. “Must be a day ending in y.” She pushed her chair back and turned around until she saw him, eyebrows raising and arms folding in front of her. “What.” Not a question.

He was standing by the glass door that joined his lab to Jane’s, hands on his hips. “Your boyfriend canceled on me for tomorrow night.”

“Yeah. I know.” Because they’d discussed it.  _At length_.

“But we always do poker on the third Saturday of the month.”

Which seemed a little arbitrary, if anyone asked her. Not that anyone ever did. “I know. Third Sunday every month, I climb into bed all by my own. When I wake up, there’s a drunk, snoring retired Air Force colonel who’s somehow barnacled onto me without waking me up. Every month.”

“He told me he had previous commitments. Since we’ve been doing this since before you were born, I’m assuming that  _previous commitments_  actually means  _my significant other needs me for something_. So. Spill. What’s more important?”

“It’s not a big deal, but my cousin’s getting married. I told him that I’d totally go on my own, because…” Darcy sighed, making a face. “Meeting the Lewis clan is an  _experience_ , and while he says he’s ready…”

“No one’s ready,” Jane muttered from behind her, and Darcy had to nod. “No one is ever ready for all of that.”

“Although…” Jane reminding her of her presence actually gave Darcy an idea. She stood up, moving over to where Jane was bent over her sciency table sciencing at things. She grabbed Jane’s elbow and started moving her way through the lab.

Jane let out a long-suffering sigh, but let herself be dragged across to where Tony was standing in the doorway. Darcy took Jane’s hand, then took Tony’s hand, and put them together. “Jane, Tony. Tony, Jane. Since neither one of you  _have_ plans for tomorrow, and are intelligent, attractive people who have both praised the qualities of the other  _at length_ -” and boy, was she fucking tired of hearing about that  _from both of them_ - “you should teach Jane how to play strip poker.” Darcy glanced between them and nodded before spinning on her heel, grabbing her purse on her way out of the lab.

James was walking down the hall, he usually met her when work was finished for the day. The walls of the lab were entirely made of thick, ballistics glass, and he looked inside, one eyebrow crooking as he presumably saw Tony and Jane. “Why is he looking at her like that? I know that look.”

Darcy just smiled up at him, going up on her tiptoes and bracing her hand against his chest for a quick greeting kiss. “I think I found him something else to do tomorrow night.” She settled down on her heels, looking up at him. “Are you  _sure_  you want to come with me? Like, I’m not gonna pass up the opportunity to see you in a suit, but… Are you  _sure_?”

He smiled as he looked down into her eyes. “Of course. How bad could it be?”

“I will bet you that after tomorrow you’re either going to propose marriage or leave me forever.” Darcy was only half-joking, because that’s how it usually worked when you met the Lewis family, either, “YES THESE ARE MY PEOPLE AND I NEED TO BE PART OF THIS MADNESS,” or, “I CAN’T HANDLE THIS I’LL CALL YOU.”

“I will take that bet.” He took her hand, and together they headed out to the elevator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> "Must be a day ending in y." Darcy/Rhodey, with a side of bro-Tony.


	97. Darcy/Rumlow

Brock stepped out of the shower, reaching for the towel that was hanging from the hook. It still smelled a little bit like her shampoo, and he savored the scent as he toweled himself off. The mission had been successful, they’d done everything they were supposed to do. It hadn’t… sat right. It smelled like a setup. He’d long since learned to trust his instincts. It was something to puzzle over tomorrow. Right now… Right now his bed was just a few steps away, and there was already someone in it.

He paused in the doorway, looking at the body of the woman in his bed. His eyes followed the curve of her hip as she sighed and turned over. He knew they didn’t have much time, that soon she would have to leave. Fucking shame, too.

It was lucky timing, her calling him and telling him that Coulson had insisted she come down to see if she could get a face-to-face with Fury. That wasn’t gonna happen, but he knew he could see her safer than what was bound to happen on the Bus. Fucking Ward… Brock wanted some personal time with Ward, teach him not to fuck with other people’s lives on the excuse of his cover. The rest of it he could understand, but there was no excuse for being  _dangerously_  bad at his job.

It was impossible for him to stand there when the sheet dipped down to reveal her tits. His body was still raging with adrenaline, and he flipped off the light before crossing to the bed and climbing in.

She was warm, so warm. He turned her gently away from him and curled himself around her back. His hand slid over her hip and down between her thighs, lifting her leg and pulling it back over his, opening her…

She made a little noise when he set his fingers against her clit. “Just get wet for me,” he urged, and he felt her hand pushing through his hair. She was starting to shake, her body quivering against him, and he moved until he was sliding home, balls-deep in the wet heat of her cunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> river-soul:  
> 36) living in a society where their love is taboo au  
> Fun fact- this is an alternate POV for part of [Commemorating](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3501011/chapters/7694390) which is very, very explicit.


	98. Darcy/Rumlow 2

Darcy watched Rumlow unzip his body armor and put it down on the seat next to him, her eyebrows raised. Next came the harness he wore underneath, and an astonishing amount of gear, until he could have just been a guy dressed in black. Well, mostly. He still looked all, ‘I can kill you with my pinkie’ badass.

He looked up at her, eyes moving over her body. “Today’s the day I’m glad you blatantly ignore the dress code,” he said, taking in her Adventure Time shirt, black skirt and tights.

She gave him a particularly satisfied smile. “So what’s the plan, boss?”

“Now, we provide a distraction.” He opened up his side of the SUV, and she followed suit, pausing only to grab her purse- which had all of her nifty gear in it.

He took her hand as they walked towards the park, and she looked down at where their hands were joined, then up into his face. “Uh, I thought the point of PDA was to detract attention.” And also obscure faces, which it totally did.

“Normally, yeah. But this…” He just kept walking, right up to a large tree. “Everyone’s going to be trying to look and not look at the same time, or just so flustered they won’t notice anything else.” He stopped right next to the tree. “Sorry about the splinters.”

“What-” was all she had time to get out. His hands gripped either side of her waist, turning her and lifting her up against the tree until she was pinned there by his body. And then… And then he kissed her.

And he didn’t just stop with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> river-soul:  
> 7) fake relationship au


	99. Darcy/Rumlow 3

Darcy knew. She absolutely knew that the guy she’d chanced on in a bar one night after work was trouble. She knew that he was keeping secrets, that there was something about him that just wasn’t…

But she couldn’t seem to stay away.

Night after night she returned to his apartment, or let him into hers.

They hardly ever went out, they didn’t really hang out with friends. Darcy was okay with that. All she wanted to do at the end of her very long days was collapse on the couch with the man she was seeing, eat some dinner, and chase away the shadows of the day in each other’s bodies.

One day, she realized that she hadn’t really gone home in about a week, and the next weekend, Brock helped her move the rest of her stuff into his apartment.

Things didn’t stay easy, though. She knew he worked for SHIELD, but not what he did. Chances were pretty good that he was some kind of field op, though, and his missions started keeping him away.

One morning, he came in after having been away for the night. Darcy was at the kitchen table, drinking her coffee. He moved to her and pulled her up against him. He smelled like sweat and guns, the sharp note of adrenaline that usually had him pushing her pants off and burying himself deep inside her.

Not this time, though. This time, his arms wrapped tightly around her back, she could feel the lines of tension in his body as she returned his embrace.

He seemed to hold her forever, his nose buried in her hair. At last, though, he pulled away, one hand coming up to cradle the back of her head. He didn’t speak, but there was a whirlpool of emotions in his eyes- worry, tenderness, regret, sadness. And then he left again.

When Darcy got home from work that night, there was a piece of paper on the table with his spidery scrawl- “Get out. It’s not safe here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cinnilla:  
> 5) things you didn’t say at all


	100. Darcy/Rumlow 4

Darcy pulled on the door handle, but it was just like trying to open a locked car. The handle moved, nothing happened.

She looked back to see Rumlow watching her, arms folded across his face, an eyebrow arched. “Did that help?” He’d assured her that he’d already tried all possible exits, but apparently they had some time to kill, so Darcy had figured it wouldn’t hurt to try them as well.

She rolled her eyes at him, pacing across the small, concrete room to where an empty plastic tote was overturned on the floor. It was really the only thing in the tiny storage(?) room that passed as furniture, and she sank down onto it. “Whatever. I’m sure you’re coming up with some big, impressive plan to get us out of here.”

He shrugged. “Wait. Conserve energy. Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while… That door will open at some point, and we don’t know who’s going to open it.”

So, waiting… Darcy’d had a lot of practice with waiting- it seemed half of Jane’s work consisted of waiting and staring at things- but at least the company was better. Here, there was only Agent Rumlow for company, and she hardly even knew him. He’d been assigned as her “security” detail, after Coulson had found her poking into things she wasn’t supposed to be poking into.

With nothing else to do and  _nothing_  to look at in the small, concrete-walled room of uniform gray, her eyes kept drifting back to him. He was… You know. Lean. Bad-ass looking. Nice arms. Dark eyes, stubble that looked like it would feel amazing against her-

Okay, how fucking bored was she that she was fantasizing about her very own, personal Jack-Booted Thug?

He smirked, his eyes moving over to her. “Get up.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “What?”

“Up.”

She stood, eyes on him to see what he would do. He walked over, though, and took her place on the overturned container. “Hey!”

One hand encircled her wrist, and she felt him pulling her down across his thighs. “This is the only seat. Unless you’d rather I sat on you…”

Darcy rolled her eyes. She settled against him, though, relaxing as much as she could. “But then if someone comes in, you’ll get up and I’ll hit the floor.”

“I don’t think anyone’s coming in for a while.” His eyes were fixed on her, dark, intense. “No, I think we have a lot of time to kill.” His breath was tickling against her neck, and suddenly Darcy wasn’t having any problems coming up with ways to pass the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> river-soul:  
> 17) “Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while…”


	101. Darcy/Rumlow 5

Darcy pried her eyes open. Her head was  _throbbing_  and there was something heavy covering her. “What happened?” She forced herself to look around, but all she could see was dark shapes in the dim red glow from the emergency lights.

“You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes,” came the dry response from somewhere off to her left.

She wanted to roll her eyes, really,  _really_  badly, but it seemed like it might make her head come off. “Fuck yourself,” she told him, closing her eyes again. Rumlow really was one of the best agents she’d met, but he was just such an ass.

“That’s not what you said last night,” came the self-satisfied response. He was a lot closer now, and she felt cool fingers brushing across her face. “I can’t tell in this light, but I think you have a concussion.” He paused. “Ground shook, you fell, cracked your head on the desk. I caught you before you hit the floor.”

“You are a lifesaver.” She had an absurd thought about the little candies and bit back a giggle. “What’s on me?”

“My body armor. It was the only thing I had to keep you warm with.”

“I’m missing the show?” That was a damn shame. Rumlow was nice to look at, all lean muscle and… Mmm.

“I’ll show you once you’re cleared for vigorous activity again.” Concern mingled with amusement in his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous  
> 38) “You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”


	102. Darcy/Rumlow 6

Brock was working his shoulder, the other hand pressed firmly against the side of his neck. He nodded to Darcy in greeting as he walked into the room, then winced.

Darcy made a face, eyes fixed on his shoulder. “What happened to you?”

“Slept funny.”

Darcy started laughing, she just couldn’t help it. “Oh, mister super-spy badass brought down by a flat pillow!” He shot her a look, and she just grinned back at him.

He was obviously in some pain, though, and she sighed as he sat down across the table from her, wincing as he settled into his seat. “You should requisition a new pillow. In the meantime…” She looked him over. “Do you…well…I mean…I could give you a massage?”

“Is that really in your skill set?” he aske dryly, one eyebrow raised like he was _doubting_  her.

“I’ll have you know that astrophysicists spend a  _lot_  of time bent over things, not moving because they’re all sucked in by science or whatever. Knots and muscle cramps for  _days_.”

His brown eyes rested on her face for a few more seconds like he was trying to figure out if she was serious or not. “Well, I guess it’s not like you can make it worse.”

“Yeah, I don’t know about that,” she teased as she got to her feet, moving around the table to stand behind him. She brushed his hand out of the way like she was shooing a particularly bothersome fly, then set to work, pushing her fingers deep into the muscles of his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honeywildandmannadew:  
> 4) “Do you…well…I mean…I could give you a massage?”


	103. Darcy/Rumlow 7

“You’re gritting your teeth again.” A finger and thumb closed on either side of Darcy’s cheeks and squeezed a little, forcing her jaws apart.

She snatched her face away, rubbing her own hand over the abused skin as she glared at Brock. “Yeah. It’s a concentration thing. Habit I picked up a long time ago.”

“It’s bad for you.” He sounded equal parts amused and censorious as he leaned his forearms onto the table she was working against, his omnipresent body armor shifting against the black t-shirt he wore underneath.

“Bite me.” She didn’t even look up from the screen she was peering at. “I have to figure this out before we can go anywhere, and apparently it’s _super_  important that we get moving, so…” She trailed off, glancing up at him, getting just a flash of intense brown eyes before turning back to her tablet. “If you’ll kindly vacate my workspace, it’ll be a little easier to get this done.”

To her complete surprise, he did stand up, moving away from the other side of the table without a word. Usually he either ignored her with a smirk, or had some sarcastic comment for her. But he passed out of her field of vision, and she let herself temporarily forget his presence.

Darcy pushed her glasses up her nose and poked at the tablet for a second. Patterns were normally her bitch, complex patterns even more so. But this… This was proving uniquely challenging, and she realized she was clenching her jaw again as she stared at the jumble of numbers on the screen.

A hand appeared over her shoulder from behind her, tucking around her hair and pulling it gently back, away from her face. “What are you- oh.” The last word was a breathy sort of exclamation as teeth caught over the nape of her neck. “What are you doing?”

“You said to bite you.” Brock’s lips brushed her skin as he spoke. “You think better under pressure.”

She let out a long sigh, but maybe he had a point. He’d just worked his way over and up to her ear when things finally clicked into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honeywildandmannadew:  
> #2 for Darcy/Brock please :)


	104. Darcy/Rumlow 8

“You’d think someone who obviously went to the Killer Academy of Badass Killers would know how to dress himself.” Darcy gave Brock an innocent look as she moved over to where he was standing in front of the full-length mirror, fucking with his bowtie. She slipped between him and the glass surface, reaching up to bat his hands out of the way before tying the black scrap of fabric for him. “You tie me up just fine, but this you struggle with?”

A smirk rode his lips as he leaned to the side to check her work in the mirror. “I’ve had more practice with that.”

“Well, thank fucking god, or I’d have to do  _that_  myself, too, and that would just get awkward. Stop-” She slapped at his shoulder, lightly enough that he’d probably barely feel it through the black tuxedo jacket. “Stop moving around.” She fiddled with the tie, then adjusted the lapels of the jacket before stepping out to the side and looking at him critically. Acceptable. “Jesus, is that why we’re working together? So I can make sure you’re presentable? Please tell me you at least know how to dance.”

His eyes cut to her, one eyebrow raised. “I know how to dance.”

“That’s something, anyway.” Darcy turned away, eyes scanning the hotel room’s bed until she found the small blue clutch. After picking it up, she turned back to her partner-slash-date. “Are you ready to go?”

“Why am I doing this again?” Brock asked wryly, offering her his arm.

She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, and together they walked to the door. “I dunno, I think you might actually like me.” She reached out and opened the door, ducking under his arm when he caught the edge to hold it open. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> Uma Thurman by Fall Out Boy Darcy/anyone your twisted little heart desires.


	105. Darcy/Rumlow 9

Darcy twisted her shiny new engagement ring around her finger, staring at it. She’d had it for about two days, and she was still getting used to it.

To tell the truth, she wasn’t entirely sure she should have said yes. But she’d been all caught up in the moment- Ultron had been defeated, everyone had been evacuated- and ‘yes’ had just kind of popped out of her mouth. She’d immediately regretted not taking the time to think about it, but Cameron had looked so fucking excited…

She sighed. Well, maybe it was just one of those things she had to get used to. Like that time she’d had a lab incident and had ended up having to cut bangs in the front of her hair. It had taken a little bit to get used to, but she’d ended up loving them.

That probably wasn’t the best way to be looking at her relationship.

“That’s new.” That raspy voice, she recognized that voice.

Her hand flew to her mouth, stifling her gasp. Eyes wide, she looked up, squinting against the sunshine. “You’re… alive?” came out from behind her fingers.

“Looks like.” He was wearing dark sunglasses and his usual all-black, but this time there was no SHIELD logo on his shirt. His face was directly in front of the sun and she couldn’t make out his features, but that voice… There was no mistaking that voice.

Darcy shook her head, wiping her hands on her skinny jeans. “I heard you were Hydra.” And THAT had just fucked her up for the longest time.

“Hydra paid my bills. They don’t anymore. Gave me up for dead, just like everyone else.” That was rather pointed.

“Right. ‘Cause the last thing I heard was that you were trying to fuck up Sam, and then the entire  _fucking building_  came down on you. You’re human, Brock, how the fuck do you survive something like that?”

He bent down, his arm sliding around her back as he straightened, pulling her up against him. “Can he make you scream?” And then his lips were on hers, hard enough to bruise.

And fuck her if she wasn’t kissing him back for all she was worth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Darcy/Brock. "You're alive?." that incorporates an engagment ring. :D
> 
> Follows the same 'verse as [Coming In From the Rain](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4244478) which is E for sexytimes.


	106. Darcy/Rumlow 10

Darcy searched through her drawer. Panties were pushed aside, then pulled out and dropped on the floor. She had about two square feet to herself in her bunk, and this was really the most practical place to keep her vibrator. Except it was  _missing_.

It wasn’t in her bed. It wasn’t in the bathroom- a girl’s got to keep things sanitary. And really, with as little space as she had to herself, it took no time to search her entire bunk from top to bottom.

Nothing. It was gone.

And really, this was just about the worst time. She was all worked up from her latest mission, and getting even more so with the frustration from not being able to find her vibrator. Sure she had fingers, but that had sounded like  _effort_. And she was fucking  _tired_.

Darcy looked around her bunk, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed. Maybe she could just go to the gym and beat on something for a while. Because she was getting pretty pissed.

Her phone buzzed once from the top of the room’s small table and she reached over and snagged it, squinting without her glasses as she peered at the screen. Brock.

_Looking for something_? the text read.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you!” Having his thumbprint on record as being authorized to access her room had seemed like a good idea at the time- she was authorized for his, and they worked together closely enough that it made sense. But now? Now she was going to have to kill him. On the plus side, that would probably get rid of some of the tension she’d worked up.

She was naked, having just stepped out of the shower, and she angrily pulled on some clean clothes before storming out of her room, letting the door swing shut on its own behind her.

Darcy didn’t even bother knocking when she reached Brock’s bunk, just pressed her thumb against the identipad, her hand already turning the doorknob when she heard the latch click open.

And found herself pressed up against the wall by a hard body, her wrists held snugly in one large hand over her head. “Looking for something?” It was dark in his room, she couldn’t see more than a dark shape looming in front of her.

She struggled against him, trying to pull her wrists free, but he was holding her pretty tightly. It would take a considerably amount of effort, and probably a knee or two, to give it a decent shot. “I’m going to kill you,” came out through gritted teeth.

Brock snickered, and she heard the distinctive buzz of the very item she’d been looking for. It pressed against the inside of her thigh, close enough to tease, but too far away to get anything actually done. “You can try. Or I can give you a hand with your… situation.”

“Yeah. Except right now you’re just making it worse.” She was glaring at him in the dark, not that he’d be able to see it.

His voice was a low rasp in her ear. “What are you gonna do about it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ozhawkauthor: Brock/Darcy, obviously.   
> And Darcy’s vibrator. Which Brock probably finds when going through her underwear drawer.


	107. Darcy/Rumlow 11

Darcy was curled up in bed with Oliver, her fluffy gray cat, sprawled across her hip. She was awake, but preliminary investigations had suggested that it was _cold_  outside of her thick blanket, and since she didn’t really have anywhere to be, she was perfectly content to just stay in bed for a while.

It was nice and quiet, too. Normal daytime noises in her neighborhood as _other_  people went about their lives, but she’d pretty much decided not to go anywhere or do anything for the day. Maybe some gaming, maybe some reading… Maybe a whole lot of  _nothing_.

She stretched her hand outside of the comforter- yup, still cold- and scratched behind Oliver’s ears until she was rewarded with his motorboat purr. Oliver was a pretty awesome cat, frequent hairballs notwithstanding.

Darcy froze. There was a key in her front door. There were only two other people in the world who had a key to her little house. Jane, who she’d given a key just after moving in, because  _of course Jane was getting a key_. And Brock, who she… hadn’t given a key, but had turned up one time with one anyway.

And Darcy was fairly certain she knew who was at the door. On the one hand, there went her day of doing nothing. On the other, probably orgasms.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before there was a black-clothed figure moving through her open bedroom door into her room. He smirked as he looked down at her for a moment, then started peeling off his clothes. “Still in bed?”

“Um, yeah. I have nowhere to be today, nothing to do, and it’s fucking cold.” It was always a nice view when he took off his clothes.

“Phrasing’s interesting…” He paused from pulling off his boot, looking up at her with a very significant sort of smirk before turning his attention back to his clothes.

She stared at him for a second, eyes getting wide as she realized the exact implications of what he’d meant. “Oh, no. No way.” She went from scratching Oliver’s ears to patting his butt gently until he very reluctantly relinquished his post on Darcy’s hip. Brock had almost finished undressing, and she lunged out of bed, moving past him, only to be caught by a very cold pair of arms around her waist. She shrieked.

“Baby, it’s cold outside,” he said, pulling her back in the direction of the bed.

She was laughing, though, even while she tried to get away from him, pushing almost futilely against his arms. “Why do you always do this to me?”

“Usually you run, then squirm, then make just the  _best_  noises.” He succeeded into hauling her back on the bed, and it bounced underneath them as she landed beside him. She yelped. She was naked, and the rest of his body was just as cold as his arms.

“I have a shower, you know…” She looked up at where Brock’s face was hovering over hers, his eyes dark and intense. She bit her teeth into her lower lip, unwilling to breathe her morning breath all over him.

“And here I thought you wanted to stay in bed.” His head ducked down until his lips were moving against the side of her neck. “You’ll warm me up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Brock/Darcy "baby, it's cold outside" (quote or the song, your choice)  
> In the same 'Verse as Coming In From the Rain


	108. Darcy/Rumlow 12

Darcy looked up at the man draped across the motel bed. He was fast asleep on his stomach, one arm sprawled across the empty space that probably still held the heat from her body. She’d left the light on in the bathroom, it was enough to see him by.

She was sitting on the heavy curtain in the window, perched on the central air unit, wearing nothing but her t-shirt. Her feet were tucked up under her as she watched him sleep. He’d stirred a little when she’d slipped out of bed, but he hadn’t appeared to have woken up. It was probably for the best, he’d been in pretty rough shape when she’d found him. She’d stitched up his back- the things you learn scientist-wrangling- and cleaned him up. He hadn’t appeared to have lost too much blood, but he definitely needed rest.

“What the fuck am I going to do?” she breathed, her eyes picking out the dark lines across his back. She wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, she’d just found Brock on his stomach in the rubble, back all sliced up

“Come back to bed,” came the dry response. His head came up off the pillow and he turned to look at her, wincing a little as the movement pulled at his stitches.

Her eyebrows raised as she considered him. “I’m pretty sure you’re literally going to fall apart if I go anywhere near you again.”

“I’ll make it.” He paused, brown eyes following the shape of her legs. “I’ve had worse.”

Sighing, she pushed herself to her feet. He was probably right, too. She moved across to the bed and got into it, pulling the cooling sheet up over her. His hand slid over her stomach, arm settling heavily around her waist. “You’re a wanted man, aren’t you?”

Slowly, painfully, his head turned so that he was looking at her again. This close, she could see the dark shadows under his eyes. “You want me…” His mouth moved up into a familiar smirk, and she shook her head, the corners of her own lips turning up just a little. “By both sides, probably.”

“You…” She sighed again, reaching over to push her fingers through his thick hair. “I’m beginning to think you’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

“If I really thought you meant that, I’d leave.” His words were slurred a little, a combination of the drugs she’d given him and the trauma done to his body, no doubt.

“Leave?” Darcy shook her head. “Look at you, you can’t even leave bed.” She shifted forward, careful not to move the bed too much as her lips brushed against his shoulder. “Go back to sleep.”

“Stay with me.” His fingers tangled in the hem of her shirt as his eyes drifted shut again. It wasn’t long before his breathing deepened, evened out.

“Fuck,” Darcy whispered into the dim night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wolfgangbogdanovv:  
> "Devil's Backbone" by The Civil Wars for Darcy/Rumlow, please!


	109. Darcy/Rumlow/Rollins

Darcy didn’t know anyone who would help her out. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. A good number of her friends would probably give her a toss if she asked for it, and it would probably lead to mutual satisfaction and everything.

But no one… No one she knew would actually give her what she wanted. Although, okay. Technically she didn’t know that, either. But this somehow seemed easier than potentially awkward conversations and mornings after.

The first time she’d called the “service,” Jack had come over. He was all tall and burly, pretty much exactly what he was looking for. And he enjoyed it, she could tell. He liked topping her- making her scream and cry and beg until she was hoarse, her body so taut with need that she’d do  _anything_. It was freeing for her, to give up control of her body like that, and Jack was excellent.

She usually saw him once a month. He’d come for the night, spend the first little while playing her body, and then the rest of the night was spent on aftercare. And he’d call to check up on her throughout the next couple of days, make sure she was okay.

The last time she’d seen him, he’d suggested that he could bring a friend. Brock, that’s what he’d said his friend’s name was. And Darcy had agreed.

She was nervous, though. It was the designated Saturday, she’d had her shower and gotten herself ready, but there was practically a great flock of butterflies churning around in her stomach.

The knock on her door startled her, she jumped in her chair violently enough that the chairlegs sounded against the floor. But she stood, smoothing down the front of the skirt, and went to the door. Opening it revealed Jack standing there with his ready smile, and he leaned down to kiss her in greeting before stepping inside.

The man behind him was lean, his dark eyes moving over her appraisingly and ending on her face with a predatory smile. Brock, that’s who that had to be. He stepped into the house, letting the door swing shut behind him. “You wanna run, princess? ‘Cause once I get my hands on you…” He let the threat hang unfinished in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> river-soul:  
> 31) prostitute/client au


	110. Darcy/Sam

“Jane, do people even  _have_  double dates anymore? Really? This is a thing?” Darcy was making a face at her best friend. Her very best friend, who she would do anything for, including going on a fucking  _double date_  with Jane’s boyfriend’s best friend.

“He’s old-fashioned.” Jane sounded somewhat defensive, as though Darcy had just cast the man’s entire character into question.

“Yeah, ‘cause he’s a fucking fossil.” Her eyes widened in innocence at Jane’s glare. “What? He’s a fine-ass fossil, but the man was born, what… A hundred years ago? Never let it be said you don’t have a type.” Thor- old, hot, huge, blond. Steve- old, hot, huge, blond.

Jane was giving her death-eyes, and Darcy shrugged, turning away to pick up her purse. “We should probably get going if we’re actually going to meet them there. I’m pretty sure Captain America’s going to be the promptest prompter that ever prompted.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Jane replied, but she shoved her phone and wallet in Darcy’s oversized purse before straightening her skirt and opening the front door.

A cab ride got them where they needed to go. Darcy never had a problem getting a cab when she visited Jane in New York, which she secretly suspected was half the reason Jane was always inviting her to visit. But they got their cab, they got to the restaurant- a little out-of-the-way Italian place, and, sure enough, Steve was already standing in front of the restaurant with his designated wingman.

Darcy put a smile on her face as she slid across the seat to get out after Jane. “You so owe me,” she hissed, planting her feet on the ground and pulling herself out.

Jane and Steve were adorable together, she had to admit that. Neither of them really seemed into PDA, but they were doing an awful lot of giggling and blushing and just generally being cute at each other, so Darcy turned to designated wingman. “Hey. I’m Darcy, I’ll be your date for this evening.”

“Darcy.” The man’s brown eyes moved down her body and back up to her face. “Darcy Lewis? From Chattanooga?”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, then, “Sam?  _Oh my god_!” She practically threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in just the biggest hug. “It’s been forever!” Well. He’d grown up well. And he smelled _fantastic_.

They hugged for long enough that Jane asked, “So you two know each other?”

Darcy reluctantly pulled away. “Yeah.” She couldn’t stop smiling. “This guy right here lived two houses down.” She looked up at him. “We grew up together. Gave me my first kiss ever.” Right before he’d moved to California. That had been the worst summer of her life. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. “You look amazing.”

“You grew up pretty well, too.” And didn’t that just send shivers down her spine. He offered her his hand, and she took it, enjoying the pressure of his fingers over hers. The night was suddenly looking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> geekyvegan:  
> 2) childhood best friends au


	111. Darcy/Sam 2

Darcy made a face as she looked down at her dress. It was pretty, you know, she looked fucking gorgeous in it if she did say so herself. But it wasn’t exactly made for extended wearing. She was already supposed to be  _out_  out of it. Not that she was compulsively checking the time on her phone or anything.

“Only fucking me,” she muttered. She wanted to get up and pace, but she’d already tried it and without the heels, the hem kinda got in the way and she may have tripped. And she was  _so_  done with the heels. Sam liked her in heels, and it sort of brought their faces closer which was better for picture taking, but… Those weren’t really made for extended wear either.

Jane was giving her a sympathetic look. She was an awesome friend, though, and she hadn’t stuck Jane in a horrible looking and/or uncomfortable dress she wouldn’t be able to wear again, so Jane wasn’t as uncomfortable as she was.

She fought the urge to pull her phone out of her dress to check the time again. Apparently if you were willing to drop enough money, you could have a wedding dress made with pockets. She was getting it custom-made anyway, so… pockets.

“I’m going to kill him if he gets himself killed, you know.” Her eyes widened a little as she looked over at where Pepper was watching what was going on on the TV. Darcy couldn’t… She could sit and watch that. She just… Nope. Not today.

“It’s over,” Pepper said, turning to look over at her.

Darcy got up, picking up the skirt of her gown and moving over to stand behind Pepper, watching the TV. The reporter was saying something about not being able to assess the extent of the damage until the dust cleared, but… “Oh, thank fucking god,” she breathed when she saw the telltale shape of mechanical wings flying away from the ruined section of the city.

She hauled the skirt over to the balcony, sliding open the glass door and stepping out onto the cold cement. Her bare toes curled against the chill, but she barely noticed as she looked up at the blue sky, squinting a little against the brightness.

It wasn’t long before she saw what she was looking for. Sam flew over and dropped down right in front of her. Her eyes moved over him looking for any sort of injuries. He looked… Covered in dust, but he looked okay. She threw herself at him, and his arms came around her even as the wings folded up, out of the way.

“Hey, now. You’re gonna get all dirty.” That didn’t stop him from holding her close against him, though, leaning down until he could brush a kiss across her cheekbone.

“I don’t even care. Sam…” There were no words for the fear that had seized her heart. “Why couldn’t they just wait a day?”

She felt rather than heard his chuckle. “Clint’s right behind me. I know this isn’t what we planned, but did you still wanna…”

Darcy pulled back and looked up into his face. He was wearing his goggles, of course, and she trained her eyes on them. “Right now?”

He was smiling. “Right now.”

“Um, yes?” Not even a question.

“Hold tight, babe.”

She tucked herself against him again, arms tight around his neck. She heard the sound of his wings unfolding, and in just a second the balcony was falling away from her feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stateofconstantconfusion:  
> Darcy/Sam All of Me by John Legend?


	112. Darcy/Sam 3

Sam leaned down and kissed Darcy soundly. He’d taken his goggles off just before Clint had gotten started, and she could see his eyes were a little watery before they closed. Not that hers weren’t, but that wasn’t the point.

The second his lips touched against hers, the landing pad behind them erupted in loud cheers. She rested her hands on his shoulders, letting herself melt into him as his tongue flicked at the seam of her lips.

A throat cleared, and Darcy pulled away, pressing her lips together, unable to stop smiling. “So…” She looked up at her new husband. “We definitely missed the reservation for our reception. Any big ideas?”

“I’ve got one word for you: sing-along!” Sam was a bit of a karaoke nut.

Darcy sighed, nodding. Honestly, that wasn’t the worst idea he could have come up with. “Okay. But… I gotta get changed first.” Because she was supposed to have been out of this thing hours ago.

“Oh no.” He stepped back and looked down at her, eyes glinting a bit as he took in the way the gown hugged her body. “Because if you go in our apartment and take this off, I’m not going to want to let you leave again.”

Well… There was an idea. Her eyebrows went up as she looked at him. “Who says that’s a bad thing?”

“Oh no.” Clint stepped up to them, dropping a hand on each of their shoulders, though a little harder in Sam’s case if the way he winced was any indication. “You’re the first one of us to get married, we have to celebrate. Besides, Sam’s been talking about singing some Barry for you.”

Darcy glanced at the blond before turning her attention back to her husband. “White or Manilow?”

Sam’s eyebrow arched. “Which would you prefer?”

She grinned, catching her lower lip between her teeth. Her dress was… Well, it had definitely seen better days. But Sam didn’t seem to notice the dirt- then again, he’d put it there, and there was clear appreciation in his eyes. “I don’t have any shoes on, I don’t think anywhere is going to let me in.” Not to mention sticky bar floors. Ew.

“Take half an hour,” Tony advised, obviously not even trying to pretend he hadn’t been listening to the conversation. “That way the rest of us can at least have a shower.”

Half an hour? Chances were pretty good that Sam was going to want a shower too… She raised her eyebrows in a bit of a challenge, and he grinned. “Hold on tight, flying’s faster than the elevator.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nurselaney:  
> Darcy/Sam, “I’ve got one word for you: sing-along!” 
> 
> Follows after the last Darcy/Sam.


	113. Darcy/Sharon

They got along pretty well. It had jokingly started as a support group, women who Nat had tried to set up Steve. (Not that Steve wasn’t awesome, but he was Steve.) But then they started hanging out more and more and found they really did have a lot in common. Getting together was a little tough. Sharon, of course, did her whole CIA operative thing, Darcy was  _constantly_  busy with the demands of her scientists.

But they made it a point to get together at least once a month. Like tonight. It was a quiet bar way off the beaten whatever that definitely wasn’t a hotspot for anything. They both preferred it, because work was busy and hectic. This… This was nice.

Sharon took a sip of her beer and set it down directly on the coaster. She was a coaster kind of woman. “I got an invitation to SI’s big thing next month.”

Darcy made a face. “Yeah. I have to go of course. You should come, keep me company. They’re  _boring_. I mean, the bar’s always good, but blah. Boring.”

Sharon traced a finger through the condensation on the outside of her cup, drawing a little circle. “Maybe I will. I haven’t RSVP’ed yet, but there’s still time.”

“That would be awesome. Really awesome. Hey.” Darcy added two eyes and smile to Sharon’s circle. “We could pretend we’re dating.”

There was a significant pause, and Darcy looked up to see Sharon sort of staring at her. “Aren’t we?”

Darcy took a second as well. “Are we?” She watched the other woman for a long moment. “Huh.” It wasn’t a bad idea. You know. Sharon was pretty awesome. And she had a nocturnal tendency that seemed to match Darcy’s own. “I’ve never really dated before, not officially. Just… Busy.”

Sharon nodded, eyes widening a little with emphasis. Yeah, she got it. She took another drink of her beer, carefully avoiding putting her hand over the smiley face on the side of her glass.

“I’ll RSVP with you as my plus one, then?” Was that how that was supposed to go? Or… Would that be too much?

Sharon smiled, her eyes lighting up over the top of her glass. “That sounds great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> "I need you to pretend we're dating." Darcy/Sharon Carter


	114. Darcy/Sousa

Darcy was so relieved she almost started crying. Jane actually was crying if the shaking shoulders and sniffles coming from her direction were any clue. But it was familiar, so heartwarming familiar that even Darcy felt the sting of hot tears prickling at her eyes even as she was smiling.

Daniel looked… Well, he looked a little bemused. Not upset, though. And why… Why was he even there?

But that was a question that would have to wait for later, because bodies were starting to swarm them. Large bodies with hugs and kisses and laughter and a few sniffles on their side.

It smelled different. That was the first thing Darcy noticed. They were obviously in Tony’s lab, it hadn’t really changed much in the years that she’d been gone, but this was a carefully environmentally controlled space, and the air smelled like  _nothing_  instead of the paper and wood of the office she worked in, or the metal and faint bitter chemical scent that never left Howard’s lab.

Darcy pulled her head out of Thor’s chest and turned to gesture behind her. Daniel was still standing there, still looking bemused but ready to roll with it? Well, she hoped so. “This is Daniel,” she said to everyone and no one.

Of course… Thinking about it, it made a lot of sense. Peggy was made the director of SHIELD, and she’d never even heard of Daniel before despite his being the chief of their branch of the SSR. So maybe he was supposed to come with them.

His eyes locked with hers and she moved towards him, wrapping her arms around him. She knew exactly how he likely felt, that lost, stranded feeling. “This is where I’m from,” she whispered, although she wasn’t quite sure it would travel through the noise.

“I figured,” he responded, and there was a slight strain to his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a five-minute story. Written in five minutes with no editing. WOOO!!! It's a plot bunny I keep tossing around that probably won't come to much.


	115. Darcy/Starlord

“Yeah, okay.” Peter sounded pretty frustrated. “Thanks for nothing.” He turned away from the bright yellow woman he’d been talking to and came back to Darcy, his mouth set in a grim line. “That’s a no.”

“Yeah, I gathered, on account of I’m still holding the box.” She took a pointed look down at the carved wooden box in her hands. “Hey, remember when you said this thing wouldn’t be a problem to sell? It’s starting to look like, and I’m no expert, so bear with me a little bit, but that this is a problem to sell. Kind of a big one.”

He grabbed her upper arm and turned her towards the door. “Whatever. She gave me the name of someone who might buy it.”

Darcy waited until they were out in the bright sunshine to give him a look. His hand fell away as soon as they were out on the busy street. She was reaching the end of her rope. After everything that had happened last night, not enough sleep, no fucking coffee, and hardly anything to eat, she was  _done_. All she wanted to do was go back to his stupid spaceship and curl up for some sleep. And then some breakfast. And then a lot of breakfast.

He walked along like he was looking for something, eyes locked on the side of the street.  _Not_  headed towards the spaceport, noticeably. She walked along beside them, letting the bright colors just sort of blur ahead of her.

Suddenly Peter grabbed her arm, hauling her off the street and into a little alley that was barely wide enough for his shoulders. “Hey! What the fuck, Peter?”

He didn’t answer, but he did let go as soon as he saw she got the message and was following him down the alley. If it could really be called an alley. But it opened up a little at the end, and there was a single man sitting on a bench.

“Hey,” Peter said, coming to a stop in front of him. “I was told you might buy this.” He pulled the small box out of Darcy’s hand and showed the guy.

Dude started laughing. He said something that Darcy didn’t understand, but the intent was a pretty clear no. His eyes moved over Peter and flicked to Darcy, and he said something else.

Peter looked… He looked pretty shaken up. Wordlessly, he turned and started booking it back down the alley fast enough that Darcy had to practically run to keep up. And she wouldn’t have fucking bothered, except he was her ticket _off_  this stupid planet.

He kept going until he came to a table and chairs, and sat down heavily enough that the chair creaked under his weight. “Well, I think I know why no one’s buying it.”

“This should be good.” Darcy sank down opposite him, eyebrows raised expectantly.

“Now, don’t panic, but I think we might have accidentally gotten married.”

Darcy burst into laughter. Peter… Didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> #88 Darcy x Quill  
> 88\. “Don’t panic but I think we might have accidentally gotten married…”


	116. Darcy/Steve

Darcy pulled her comb through her hair one more time, checking her lipstick in the mirror. She had to look perfect. Well, she didn’t  _have_  to, but she wanted to. Because she was going to meet… Steve? Steve. That was his name. His pseudonym or whatever was ‘StarryKnight,’ but she’d told herself that she wasn’t going to call him that.

As long as she remembered not to.

It was a short walk from her apartment to the coffee shop they were going to meet at. Apparently he could get anywhere in the city easily, and this way if shit went sideways, it wouldn’t take too long for her to lock herself in her own apartment.

He said he’d find her, which was… To be honest, it almost made her cancel. But she’d described herself and worn her meeting-internet-friends scarf- purple with unicorns because  _fuck yeah, unicorns_ \- and she got herself the largest size of mocha she could get before sliding into her seat.

Darcy checked the time on her phone. She settled her skirt over her tights. She drank some of her mocha. If Steve didn’t show up on time, she was never going to beta anything for him ever again, regardless if it was some of the hottest smut she’d ever read.

A large blond man in a leather jacket sort of materialized at her table. “Darcy?”

An incredulous smile spread across her face. “Steve?”  Well. This totally explained some of the outdated slang he used. She stared at him for a second before gesturing to the seat across the table from her. “Well,” she said to stop the silence from stretching on between them. “Who knew Captain America shipped Olicity?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blogdwayneblog:  
> 12) writer and editor au


	117. Darcy/Steve 2

“I wonder if there is any Canadian wilderness like this,” Darcy muttered to herself as she skinned her wolf kill. It was getting on into evening, she was getting pretty hungry, but something in the back of her mind kept telling her not to go to log off yet. So instead, she was enacting wanton destruction of wildlife and chopping up trees in  _The Long Dark_. “Post-apocalyptic survival is my bitch.”

She almost missed the friends notification- but out of the corner of her eye, a little notification popped up, telling her that SpanglePants had logged on. Apparently one of his roommates had changed his Profile Name, and he just hadn’t bothered to change it back yet. Or didn’t know how? The man had  _insane_  reflexes whenever they played together, but his general computer knowledge seemed a little sketchy.

Pausing her game, she clicked on the notification and sent him a message.

_Darce-E: Hey!_

It took a second, but then the text at the bottom of the chat window said he was typing.

_SpanglePants: Hi :)_

_Darce-E: Been a few days, I was wondering if you were okay. Are you? You’re not stealing hospital wifi or anything?_

_SpanglePants: Yes. Busy with work, that’s all._

_Darce-E: What, your super secret government spy job that you can’t talk about? ;)_

She had no idea what he did, whenever she asked he always made vague noises about contracting for the government or something. Whatever. Dude was allowed his secrets.

_SpanglePants: Yes._

_SpanglePants: I missed you. Talking to you, I mean._

Things had been getting gradually flirtier lately, Darcy had actually been worried she’d scared him off. But if he’d missed her…

_SpanglePants: It’s been crazy. I could really just use a hug._

_Darce-E: :( Too bad you’re all the way over in DC, I am the best at hugs._

_SpanglePants: Manhattan right now, actually._

Darcy stared at her screen in disbelief. She’d never told  _him_  she lived in Manhattan. This was… Interesting…

_Darce-E: Hey, you know Sandy’s? Meet me there in half an hour and I’ll totally give you a hug._

Oh shit. Had she really just pressed enter? She bit her lip, staring hard at the screen. Nothing for a few seconds. Great. Now he was going to think she was a creepy stalker. “Way to go,” she muttered to herself.

_SpanglePants: OK_

Wait, what? He said… What?

_Darce-E: Great! :) I’ll be the short chick with glasses and a purple unicorn scarf._

It was her meeting-internet-friends accessory. There weren’t too many people around with a bright purple unicorn scarf.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.” Darcy sped around her small apartment, throwing things in her purse, pushing a comb through her hair, and checking her mascara all at the same time. Just before grabbing her keys and heading out the door, she checked her screen again.

_SpanglePants: Can’t wait. :)_


	118. Darcy/Steve 3

Technically, it wasn’t a hospital. Technically. Darcy was sitting in an admittedly comfortable chair in the Medical wing of the tower. Really, though, it was a fucking hospital. Steve was all hooked up to a variety of beeping machines, he even had that tiny-square-motif cotton blanket draped over him.

_Hospital_.

She was fidgeting, she couldn’t help it. She’d stop every time she’d notice, but then a seconds later, she’d realize her knee was jouncing up and down again.

He hadn’t opened his eyes, not since Thor had carried him off the quinjet. “Dammit, Steve!” Darcy yelled. He didn’t even flinch. “Why do you have to be so fucking reckless all the time!”

The voice startled her, she hadn’t even heard anyone come in. “He’s always been like that.” She turned to see Bucky standing in the doorway, his blue eyes locked on the unconscious form of the man in the bed. “Even when he was…” Bucky trailed off, shaking his head. “Why doncha go grab a coffee or somethin’?”

Her first instinct was to argue with him. But she swallowed it and nodded- they’d been friends decades before she’d been born. Darcy got up from the chair and stepped towards the door, and Bucky took her place in the chair.

She’d just eased the door open when she heard a weak voice, “Buck?”

“Hey, punk. Just won’t stop tryin’ to get yourself killed, will you?”

Darcy froze, turning back towards the bed. She wasn’t sure if Steve couldn’t see her or what, but his eyes were trained on his best friend, without even acknowledging she was there. “Buck, I need…”

“Rest. And to stop being so fucking reckless.”

“No, Darcy. You gotta…” There was a breath that was probably supposed to be deep, but was labored and ended with a cough instead. “You both always take care of me. You gotta promise me…” Darcy bit her lip, the hot sting of tears filling her eyes as she stared at her boyfriend. “Promise me you’ll take care of each other.”

“Steve-” Bucky’s voice caught with emotion.

“Promise me.”

“Yeah.”

Steve nodded as his eyes fell closed again. Darcy stared at him, but her gaze drifted over to Bucky as the dark-haired man turned to look over his shoulder at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> #23 things you said when you thought you were going to die


	119. Darcy/Steve 4

“Darcy?” Steve’s voice floated across the lab to her.

She raised her hand and sort of waved it absently at him, kind of a combination between greeting and shooing. If such a thing was possible. That’s what she meant, though, and refused to take her eyes off of her screen.

“Darcy?” Closer that time, though she didn’t look over to confirm that he was walking across Jane’s lab to her. She was  _busy_ , dammit, and Steve probably wasn’t going to say anything she wanted to hear, anyway.

“Darcy.” Closer again, in that Captain America voice of his. Pfft, whatever. She wasn’t an Avenger, she didn’t have to assemble. “Darcy, it’s time to take a break. You’ve been in here for hours.”

“Come over here and make me.” Yes, it had been hours, but she was in the middle of-

“Hey!”

A pair of large hands slid under her arms, pulling her out of her office chair, and turning her around. She barely had time to give Steve a what-the-fuck sort of look before he lifted her up, tossing her over his shoulder the same way Thor did with Jane. His arm wrapped over the back of her thighs keeping her in place.

“It’s time to take a break,” he told her, still using his Captain America voice.

She couldn’t exactly see past him to see where they were going, but she assumed it was the general direction of the elevator. “Steve? You gonna put me down?”

“No.”

Fair. So she reached one hand down and pinched his ass through his jeans, grinning when he jumped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> 1) “Come over here and make me.”


	120. Darcy/Steve 5

Darcy was the queen of casual sex. And, really, that was all she could manage with her ‘lifestyle choices’ being what they were. Chasing a tiny scientist all over the world- literally,  _all_  over- meant that she was really never in one place for long enough to, you know, be part of something more serious. She’d taken a stab at it with Ian, but the long-distance thing hadn’t really… No.

And, you know, sex was awesome. Sex was fun. Sex was really her favorite way to kill time. But… And not that she would ever admit this to Jane and Thor and their ridiculously happy  _togetherness_ … It was starting to get a little lonely in her bed. Or on her couch. Or in the kitchen. Or everywhere else she found the two of them taking a second from their day to cuddle and kiss and basically just be absurdly adorable and happy.

It’s not that she was  _jealous_. You know, not really. But there was definitely a growing appeal to having someone to come home to and just, like, bake cookies and watch sportsball on TV with. And then fall asleep all cuddled up together where sex might be on the table, but it would be okay if it wasn’t.

You know. A Relationship.

And then Jane announced her globe-trotting ways were done, at least for a while, and Darcy found herself moving into a large phallic building in the middle of New York, and that was… Different. They didn’t have to chase grant money or results or anything like that. Darcy finally had the chance to finish her degree- online, of course, because in addition to Jane, there were several other people also living in the tower that Culver loved the mostest.

Which was awesome. Because then she could continue helping Jane _and_  actually finish doing what she really wanted to do.

And then… And then Steve moved into the tower. He’d been off looking for his friend or something, but now he was back? Meeting him was… Well…

Darcy was stretched up on her tiptoes, reaching for the fucking mixing bowl that was tucked away on the top fucking shelf. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. This. This is what I get for moving in somewhere everyone is over six fucking feet tall. Because  _that’s_  fucking reasonable.”

“You could have Stark build you a stepstool that walks or something.” That was an unfamiliar voice. Darcy turned to see Captain America lounging in the door in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that-  _hot damn_. His arms were folded across his chest and he looked distinctly amused.

“Or I could ask someone for help.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “Would you please get that down for me?”

Immediately he was walking across the kitchen, where he easily reached up and grabbed the bowl, setting it down on the counter.

“Thanks. I’m Darcy.” She smiled up at him- because of course  _he_  was over six feet tall, too.

“Steve.” His eyes crinkled at the corner when he smiled at her in return, and okay  _maybe_  her heart jumped a little.

“Wanna help me make cookies? Chocolate chip.” She gestured to the mixing bowl. “I think I’ll need help with the quality control part.”

“That all you need help with?” An eyebrow quirked. “I’m pretty sure the chocolate chips are stashed somewhere out of reach, too.”

“It’s a good thing you’re here, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bulmavegotaku:  
> Darcy/Steve I Want a Sunday Kind of Love by Etta James


	121. Darcy/Steve 6

“What are we doing?” Steve was lying on his back, one hand up behind his head, the other around Darcy as she lay beside him, her head pillowed on his chest.

“Lying in my bed? And we just had some pretty fantastic sex?” Like, she was probably going to be sore tomorrow- that slow burn that meant muscles had been pushed to their limit. Because Steve? Steve had stamina for  _days_.

His hand squeezed over her arm. “No, I mean… What are  _we_  doing?”

Oh.  _Oh_.  _This_  talk. Well… They’d been having friend-sex for a couple of months, and both seemed to, you know, really enjoy it. “What do you want to be doing?” That seemed like a fair question- and also a  _complete_  cop-out of giving an actual answer.

“I’d like to take you out.” He was fully staring at the ceiling as he said that, and Darcy had to bite back a sharp comment about the ceiling not being able to leave.

“Like… Hopefully as a date and not as a contract killing?

He turned his head, and she could practically  _feel_  him staring at her. “Dinner. Picture, maybe.”

She’d known that this was probably coming at some point, because Steve… Steve was still an old-fashioned kinda guy at heart. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, but are you ready to hear people talking all kinds of shit about me?”

“They wouldn’t.” The answer came immediately.

“Uh, yeah. America runs on misogyny. I’ll be corrupting you, distracting you, all kinds of things.” And because he was an old-fashioned kinda guy, slights against her hurt him more than slights against himself. “You have  _America_  in your superhero name, people think they own you.”

He squeezed her shoulder again, shifting down to kiss the top of her head. “Then I just won’t listen.” 

Darcy sighed again, unconvinced. But she nodded. The last thing they needed was for Captain America to get in a fight with someone because they called her a shield-chasing whore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman Darcy/Steve or Darcy/Pietro Please


	122. Darcy/Steve 7

Darcy practically dove into the large common area, securing herself in a corner between an end table and the side of the couch. She looked up to where Steve was watching her with a very amused expression on his face. “You haven’t seen me,” she hissed, making herself as small as she could.

She crouched there, knees to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs, head down, just waiting. It seemed like forever, but at last Steve said, “Haven’t seen her. Sorry.” Steve was a lot cooler about lying than she thought he’d be.

“All clear,” he said after another few seconds, and Darcy unfolded herself and climbed out of her little hiding place.

Despite his announcement that it was clear, she was still peering around for any sight of Clint. Not seeing him, she walked over to the couch and flopped down next to Steve.

He was fully relaxed, one foot crossed over the other knee, book open across his lap. She couldn’t see the cover, but it looked like something fiction-y, with dialogue and stuff. “Thanks,” she told him, arranging herself in a very similar pose. “I owe you.” She’d rather be sitting  _on_  him, but she wasn’t about to be picky.

“No problem. What’s that all about?”

“Water fight. Only I managed to be disarmed and now Clint’s coming for me.”

One eyebrow went up, and one corner of his mouth, like he was in complete disbelief. “You were disarmed?”

“Yeah, it’s…” Darcy pressed her lips together, because there was no way she was telling  _Steve_  that her water gun had dropped because she was Butterfingers and it had slid under the fridge. She’d be able to get it. You know, later. When Clint wasn’t on the hunt anymore.

Suddenly she was being drenched with water. Fucking Clint. And, of course, not a single drop was getting on Steve. She threw her arms up in front of her at first, but then grimly accepted her fate. It was over.

When he’d emptied his ammunition, Clint strode over and tossed her florescent orange gun into her lap. “It helps if you don’t drop your weapon,” he said with a grin and a wink before sauntering off.

There was nothing really to say to that. Sighing, Darcy turned back to Steve. Who looked a little… Dazed. His eyes quickly rose to her face and she could see the red staining his cheeks.

Water. White shirt.  _Right_. Dignity all pretty much already gone, she looked straight at him and forced a smile. “So… Dinner maybe?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nemhaine42:  
> Darcy x Steve, hiding?


	123. Darcy/Steve 8

This sort of thing wasn’t really Darcy’s deal. She hadn’t even initially been invited, but Jane had been visiting Thor, and Darcy had been with her, of course. Thor had said he wouldn’t go without Jane, Jane had said she wouldn’t go without Darcy, and one too-expensive dress later, Darcy was standing at the edge of the large room holding a flute of champagne and wishing it was something a lot more margarita-y.

Jane was mingling. Well, more accurately, she’d been co-opted by the sciency people and was currently in debate with Tony Stark about something. Thor was there, though, in case anything got, um, heated, so Darcy didn’t feel obligated to go on over and supervise.

She didn’t know anyone else. Everyone else, who looked at home in their tuxes and gowns that cost more than Darcy paid monthly for rent. Sighing, she let her eyes move around the room.

That guy. That blond guy over by the other wall who looked as out-of-place as she felt. He had his own champagne flute, held awkwardly like he was afraid he was just going to snap the stem. “Wallflowers unite,” Darcy muttered to herself as she started around the room to him.

He was a lot larger than he’d looked from across the room, she noticed as she  walked right up to him. He acknowledged her with a polite smile, but there was a guarded look in his eyes.

“I always heard Stark knew how to party, but this… I wish they had beer. Or margaritas. Champagne always makes me feel like someone’s going to notice that I don’t really belong here and kick me out, and I’ll end up spending the rest of the night at Denny’s. In my dress.”

Her torrent of words seemed to surprise him a little, his eyes widened as he turned to give her his full attention. “I’m just glad he hasn’t put me up on stage,” he said after a few seconds. “I’m about done being someone’s dancing monkey.”

He seemed to be looking right at Tony Stark while he said it, but nothing else was forthcoming. Interesting. “I’m Darcy.”

“Hi, Darcy, I’m Steve.” He offered her his hand, and she took it and shook, her own practically disappearing in his grip. Dude was almost as big as Thor. 

 _I wonder if he’s as stacked as Thor_ , came the inappropriate thought. She couldn’t exactly tell through his tux. “I was dragged here and ditched. How about you?”

There was a smile as he said that, his blue eyes lighting up a little. “Pretty much, yeah.”

Her eyes moved over him. What the hell, there was time to kill before Jane was finished her great scientific debate. “Well, Steve, wanna dance?”

He actually flushed a little. “I’m not… I’m not so good at dancing.” But he offered her his hand again, and this time when she took it, he led her out to the dance floor.

Steve didn’t know what he was talking about, she decided a few minutes later as he effortlessly led her around the room. He was just fine at dancing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> Darcy/Steve Moonlight Serenade by Benny Goodman Orchestra
> 
> Sadly, I could only find it by the Glenn Miller Orchestra on the Youtubes.


	124. Darcy/Steve 9

Darcy shuffled through the papers on her desk. She had… Six. Six signatures. She needed seven. She  _knew_  Steve wasn’t purposely being a pain in the ass, but he’d really taken his new and improved leadership role seriously, and pinning him down to get him to sign the massive quantities of paperwork they went through every fucking day really was a pain in the ass.

Sighing, she pushed her rolling office chair back and got to her feet. The paper was clutched tightly in her hand as she left her office, heading down the hall towards the training center. Because if Steve was going to be anywhere, it would be there. She missed JARVIS. Not that Vision wasn’t awesome, but Vision wasn’t an omnipotent, helpful AI that  _lived in her ceiling_.

Sure enough, Steve was in there going over something with Sam. “Hey, guys,” Darcy greeted as she got close enough to speak to them without yelling. “Can I borrow Steve for a second.”

He looked over at her, and then took a second look, eyes wide. A mute stare of appeal went to Sam, who shrugged and grinned, hands resting on his hips. “Hey, Darcy,” Sam said before wandering off to give them some privacy.

“Darcy…” Steve’s eyes moved over her, from the teeth-edged hood of her shark onesie down to her plush shark slippers. “Is there a reason you’re dressed like that?” His tone said he was asking out of obligation, and he wasn’t really sure he wanted the answer.

“Fury doesn’t care what I wear, as long as I get my work done. And it’s Shark Week!” Steve’s blue eyes had a complete  _lack_  of understanding. “Shark Week? You’ve never heard of Shark Week!? Seriously, you’ve been defrosted for a few years now, how is that even possible?”

“What’s Shark Week?” Again, like he wasn’t really sure he wanted the answer.

“Discovery Channel has a whole week that’s devoted to sharks. Although…” She made a face. “Lately it’s been a bit shitty, in the vein of the History Channel with their whole, ‘Let’s make shit up and present it as actual facts.’ But… Sharks!”

“Sharks.” His was face was still a big question mark.

“Okay, sharks have been around for millennia. I know they had sharks back in the forties.” Darcy sighed. “Here. You sign this-” She handed him the piece of paper and a pen from the pocket of her onesie. She waited until he turned and pressed the paper against the wall to sign it, fully taking the opportunity to check out how his ass looked in his sweats, to speak again. “Then when you’re done beating the fuck out of Sam, you’re going to get a pizza- pepperoni and pineapple- and you’re going to come over and we’ll watch Shark Week together.”

He turned back around, eyebrow raised a little as he handed her back both her paper and pen. “Really?”

“Yes. By the way, Nat told me your size. I may have one of these waiting for you.”

The expression on his face was  _totally_  worth it as she turned around and left the training center, unable to keep herself from snickering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobutsiriuslywhat:  
> Darcy/Steve: "You've never heard of Shark Week?!"


	125. Darcy/Steve 10

“You’re serious right now?” Darcy stared over at the smirking redhead who had her arms folded in front of her, a very knowing look in her eyes. “You’re actually serious right now?”

“What?” Nat gave her a look that was entirely too innocent. “You’re the one who wanted to trade favors.”

“Last time I ask you for a favor!” Darcy was just trying to figure out if she could make a quick getaway before he actually noticed her when Steve looked over, giving her a ridiculously nice smile, no trace of awkwardness from The Incident on his face. “Why the fuck is Steve even doing this? Don’t we have a whole Logistics Division?”

“Contrivance.” A look over showed Nat was nodding, a completely unrepentant look on her face. “You two need to get your shit sorted, and this… Well, other than locking you two in a closet, this seemed like the best way to get it done.

“Huh.” Darcy looked back over at the black SHIELD SUV that Steve was sitting in the driver’s seat of.

“And that’s the next step if you don’t do this.” Nat’s tone was so matter-of-fact that Darcy had absolutely no doubt that it  _was_  the next step. And if anyone could pull it off, it was Nat.

“Right. Thanks.”

“You can thank me later. Just…” Darcy could  _hear_  the smirk in Nat’s voice. “Maybe after a shower.”

Sighing, Darcy made her way over to the SUV. She opened the door and got into the passenger side, setting her large tote-bag-slash-purse down on the floor between her seat.

“Hey,” Steve greeted as she buckled herself in. He looked over with that easy smile before returning his attention to actually driving. The vehicle was already running and he eased it forward, turning to guide it out of the garage.

“Hi.” She turned to look out of her window as he pulled out the garage and onto the basic road that would take them out to the highway. She was silent for a little bit, but the quiet in the car seemed more and more oppressive with every second. “Look, I’m sorry I, um… Interrupted you.” She winced. “And also stared. That was…” She sighed, shaking her head and still refusing to look at him. “Not my finest moment.” To be entirely honest, she’d been afraid of being fired for sexual harassment or something.

“Well…” He was quiet for a few seconds, prompting Darcy to look over and see that his cheeks had gone sort of a pink color and he was staring very studiously at the road. “I probably should have waited until I was somewhere a little more private.”

Darcy nodded. That was definitely a thing that should have happened. Not that she was judging him for taking some alone time, most people enjoyed that sort of thing and she was fairly certain Steve wasn’t actually getting laid. But… Maybe the pool deck wasn’t the best place? “Well, it wasn’t like you normally expect people to be up and about at 2:00 in the morning.”

Steve made an agreement kind of noise, and then the inside of the vehicle was quiet again for a while.

She watched the trees speed by as Steve drove along the highway towards the nearest actual town. The silence wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it was easier than it had been when she’d gotten into the SUV, and certainly easier than the last week of totally avoiding him had been. “What did Nat do to get you to agree?”

He laughed, and she felt the last of the tension fading away. “Told me she’d lock us in a closet together.” He paused for a second. “I’m pretty sure she was serious.”

“Yeah, me too.” She nodded again, her eyes sliding over the dark green that bordered the road.

“Look, do you wanna… Grab dinner? We’re going to be out anyway.” She looked over to see he was staring intently out the windshield, the hand on top of the steering wheel gripping so tightly that his knuckles were beginning to turn white.

She smiled a little. “Yeah. That’s, um… Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twishagratzu:  
> Darcy/Steve: "Last time I ask you for a favor!”


	126. Darcy/Steve 11

“Hey, Darce?” Steve’s voice floated down the hall from their bedroom. He sounded… How did he sound? Overly patient. That was overly patient Steve, which meant someone, obviously her in this case, had done something that he thought needed a pretty hefty explanation.

“Yeah?” She called back, pausing her game and resting the controller on her knee as she leaned back on the couch so she could look down the hall.

“Could you come here?”

She set the controller down on the couch, uncrossing her legs and letting her feet his the floor before she pushed herself up. She headed down the hall in the direction of the voice, and it wasn’t long before she was poking her head through the open door. “What’s up?”

He was holding up his shield in one hand, staring at it. As she looked in the room, though, he looked up at her, one eyebrow raised. “You wouldn’t know anything about this, would you?”

Oh  _fuck_. She took in the splash of vibrantly purple glitter that covered one entire half. “Before you decide to murder me, let me explain.” Her eyes flicked back and forth between the sparkly shield and his serious blue eyes for a second before she folded her arms in front of her, going for an air of nonchalance. “Yeah. Well,  _someone_  just leaves the thing laying all over the place, seriously, you’re worse than Thor and that damn hammer. I had a glitter malfunction, and it needed to dry before I got it clean.”

Steve lifted one finger and rubbed it across the shiny purple stuff. He took a long, pointed look at his finger. “It looks dry to me.”

“Yeah, but then there was a lab-emergency and I kinda forgot.” There was _always_  a lab emergency, if it wasn’t one scientist it was another. Or sometimes _all_  of them, that was always fun. “It’ll take two seconds. And you know, this wouldn’t happen if you actually put your shit away.” Because Steve was _awesome_ , but he had a habit of not actually putting things away when he was done with them.

His mouth spread into a grin and he shook his head. “Only you, Darce.”

“Yeah, but that’s why you love me.” He tossed the shield on the bed, and she fully entered the room, walking over to wind her arms up around his neck. “I’ll clean it up right after lunch. Sorry I forgot.” It wasn’t like she’d actually be able to hurt the thing, but he had a public image to maintain that probably didn’t include purple sparkles on the shield of justice and truth or whatever the fuck it was.

“I know you will. It’s okay.” His hands slipped into the small of her back as he held her loosely against him. “Of course, I am going to punish you for it later.”

Darcy’s grin grew, her eyebrows lifting faintly in challenge. “Promise?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobutsiriuslywhat:  
> Darcy/Steve: “Before you decide to murder me, let me explain…”


	127. Darcy/Steve 12

“Are you sure you want to be doing this?” Steve asked. They were sitting in the front of his truck, his concession to moving around the city with other people, the vehicle totally shut down and quiet. He looked over at her, blue eyes sincere and questioning.

“Uh, yeah.” Darcy widened her eyes and nodded for emphasis. “That would be why I’m in the truck right now and not actually somewhere else. Wait…” She stared at him for a second. “Did you kidnap me? Am I going to have to start yelling for help because Captain America has stolen me away.”

He gave her a look and she just grinned back at her. “It’s just that this is a big commitment. There’s no going back if we do this.”

“Believe me, I’m well aware.” She pulled at the skirt of her dress, adjusting it over her knee. “Can we go inside now? It’s getting kinda cold in here, Mr. I-Don’t-Notice-The-Temperature-Ever.”

He gave her another look, but he opened the driver’s side door and got out, and Darcy opened her own door. She’d already unbuckled her seat belt as soon as he’d parked the truck, so it was just a matter of sliding to the ground without flashing everyone. Because there were already fucking paparazzi there. Of course there fucking were.

She ignored them all, eyes trained straight ahead as she moved around the truck to meet Steve on the sidewalk. His arm went around her, she could feel a hint of the protectiveness as he pulled her into his side. It was only a few steps to the glass door, though, and he pulled it open and held it for her as she slipped inside.

Not that it was any quieter inside, of course. This was a very different noise, a welcome noise. Darcy couldn’t help but smile.

The woman at the front desk looked a little startled to see them there. Her eyes fastened on Steve, because of course he was Steve Rogers, all jawline of justice and piercing blue eyes of freedom. It took her a second to find her voice. Darcy could empathize. “Can I help you?”

“We’re looking for a cat.” Darcy grinned. “And, like, if you have any that have some sort of physical disability that have been here for a while, that’s even better.” They’d talked about it. Steve didn’t necessarily  _want_  to make a political statement with the cat they adopted together, but he had a soft spot for animals that no one else would take in. And, you know, if it encouraged other people to provide loving homes for animals that might not normally get them, even better.

The woman looked between them for a moment, then nodded. She pushed back the wheeled office chair and got to her feet. “I’d like you to meet Blueberry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> "There's no going back if we do this" Darcy/steve


	128. Darcy/Steve 13

Jane and Sif got married. There was much rejoicing.  _Much_  rejoicing. Like, a lot. With the strong stuff so that the Asgardians present could rejoice, too.

So when Darcy woke up the next day feeling like maybe the world was still a little bit spinny, she wasn’t entirely surprised.

Neither was the fact that she wasn’t alone. Sex had happened last night, pretty vigorous sex if the linger aches were anything to go by. She remembered a blond. Not that that sort of ruled anything out, but…

Said blond hair was poking out of the top of the blanket beside her. She reached over and gently pulled the blanket down to reveal… “Steve. Wow. That’s uh… If you need me, I’ll just be over here high-fiving myself.”

Steve opened his eyes and squinted at her. Apparently Asgardian mead was strong enough to knock his shit over too, because he definitely looked like he’d spent the night at the bottom of a bottle. “Hey.” He gave her a sleepy sort of smile, reaching for her with both arms.

Okay, and while some morning cuddles with  _Steve_  sounded pretty fucking fantastic, her bladder was sort of telling her that she had something else to take care of first. “Yeah. Hold that thought, I’ll be right back.”

She slipped out of bed, headed across to the bathroom. They seemed to be in her apartment, that was something. It made it somehow less awkward, although there really wasn’t a rational reason for that.

But she went into the bathroom, totally taking the opportunity to brush her teeth while she was in there. She looked in the mirror while she moved the bristles across her teeth- well-fucked. She definitely looked well-fucked. Her hair was… Well, that was what conditioner was for. You know, later. After cuddles with the excruciatingly hot man that she’d pretty much been wanting to bang forever. Are you kidding, have you seen those hands?

Speaking of hands… That… That hadn’t been there before. Her eyes were fixed on the reflection of her fingers as she rinsed out the toothbrush. She put the toothbrush back in the holder and lifted up her left hand in front of her face. No, that definitely had  _not_  been there before.

A simple gold band rested around her, well, her ring finger. “This doesn’t happen.” There was literally no memory of how it got there. Maybe she’d… Tried on Jane’s ring? Forgot to give it back? Logic helpfully supplied that Jane’s ring had been different, more ornate for sure, but that was definitely a very suspicious finger for a ring to be on.

She burst out of the bathroom, rubbing the back of her hand over her still-wet mouth. “Steve… Let me see your hand.”

He looked a little bit confused, but offer her his hand anyway. “Other one.” He held out his left hand this time. “Oh, holy fuck.” Darcy sank down on the edge of the bed, all ideas of a nice morning cuddle completely gone.

He sat up right away, reaching his hand out and sort of awkwardly resting it on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t panic, but I think we might have accidentally gotten married.” Don’t panic, she was doing enough of that for both of them. Someone needed to keep a cool head.

There was a significant pause from behind her. “Fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> #88 shieldshock  
> 88\. “Don’t panic but I think we might have accidentally gotten married…”


	129. Darcy/Steve 14

It was supposed to be a nice night with their best friends. Wine, shrimp cocktail, pleasant conversation. Only Jane had been on a science bender and was running on too little sleep and too much caffeine, and the muscle in James’ jaw was jumping like it was trying to take over the world.

It devolved.

Jane was crying, James was yelling heartfelt things like, “How can you think I’m anything but hopelessly in love with you?” while looking like someone had killed his puppy.

Which led to Darcy and Steve sitting outside on the balcony with the bottle of wine she’d snagged from the table on their way out. Because while her first instinct was to jump up and start punching the fuck out of James for making her Jane cry, she realized that inserting herself in the middle of her friend’s marital issues probably wasn’t the best idea, and wouldn’t be appreciated by anyone.

She took a long swig from the bottle before offering it to Steve. He took it, taking a drink himself, and she wrapped her arms around herself. It was fully dark and getting a little chilly, and she hadn’t really dressed for outside excursions.

“You’re cold.” It wasn’t a question, saving her from having to come up with a smart-ass response.

“Yeah. It’s… Chilly.”

He moved over to lower himself onto the canvas lounge beside her, handing her the bottle back as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders. “Better?”

“Thanks. The benefits of having an actual space-heater for a friend.” His increased metabolism made him run a little higher than your average 98.6. She snuggled gratefully into his side.

They passed the bottle back and forth for a few minutes, and Darcy twisted her head over to look back through the window. Progress. Jane was sitting on the couch, James beside her with his hand rubbing against her arm. They were talking too, like actually talking. She couldn’t hear, but no one looked like they were yelling or sobbing.

She turned back around to face forward. “You know, awkward-for-friends moments aside, I’m glad they have each other.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah. We talked about it a bit in the army. He got around a little, but he always talked about having a girl good enough to come home to.”

“Jane is certainly that!” Darcy felt a stab of fierce protectiveness. Not that Steve had suggested she wasn’t, but she would  _fight_  him.

The arm around her squeezed like he knew what she was thinking or something and wanted to reassure her. “Yeah. I mean, she makes him happy. That’s… That’s saying something.”

“Yeah.” She took another long drink before pushing the bottle over to him. “What about you? You down for the whole marriage, white picket fence thing? Which…” Her eyes widened with a sudden idea. “I am totally making her a picket fence magnet.”

“I dunno. I used to be, but now… Now I’m not so sure.” He shrugged. “On top of all of the daily shit, most women seem to get Steve mixed up with Captain America. I’m not that guy.”

“No, I get it.” She rested her head against his chest. “Jesus, Steve, what do you keep in here? Rocks?”

Steve gave an amused huff. “Just at night. During the day it’s all vibranium.”

“Well, a guy’s got to be able to relax.” They sat for a while in silence, looking out over the city. “I miss the stars. I miss looking up and being able to see the Milky Way.”

“Yeah?” He paused for a moment, handing the bottle back. “I’ll take you out on the bike tomorrow. Drive out of town, take some dinner maybe?”

“Yeah?” Darcy smiled, resettling her cheek against his chest. “That sounds pretty awesome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Darcy/Steve. 80. “How can you think I’m anything but hopelessly in love with you?”


	130. Darcy/Steve 15

Darcy knocked again on the door to what was quite possibly the tiniest cabin she’d ever seen in person. She was pretty sure she could put it in the back of the SUV and take it home to be a kitty condo for her cat.

Footfalls sounded against the floor, and then the dark wooden door swung inward to reveal Steve. He looked… Adorable. Rumpled. Like she’d just woken him up from sleep, and now she kinda wanted to use him as a teddy bear. “Trick or treat!” she exclaimed brightly.

Steve stared down at her for a moment. “Let me get my stuff.”

“No!” Darcy shook her head, arms folded tightly across her front against the cold night air. “No can do. I’ve got about a half an hour left in me before I fall asleep, and you look like you’d just drive the SUV right off the road. We’re leaving in the morning.”

It looked like it took a second for her words to pierce the tired fog around his brain, and then he stepped back out of the way, flattening himself against the outside of the door to admit Darcy past him into what was undeniably a tiny cabin. There was… One bed. Okay. There was a tiny kitchen area that didn’t even have a full stove, an open closet on one wall with a door beside it that probably led into an equally proportionate bathroom, and a desk and a chair. “How do you even fit in here?” She set her backpack down on top of the desk, careful to miss Steve’s tablet.

The door closed. “It’s cozy.” He was sounding a little more awake now, although he stayed standing awkwardly by the door.

“You know, I’m just gonna grab my coffee out of the car and sit outside and drink it if you wanna get back to bed.” There was wooden deck furniture on the dirt in front of the cabin outside. She could bundle up in an extra sweater and hang out out there for a bit.

“You know that has caffeine in it.” Steve arched an eyebrow as he looked at her.

“Wait, what?  Coffee has caffeine in it? Since when?” He gave her a look, and she grinned at him. “Yeah. Just don’t lock me out when you go back to bed.” Maybe if he could get back to sleep, she could just slip in without disturbing him so he wouldn’t have to do the whole falling asleep with someone new in the bed. “And then I’ll come back in. I have my blanket, so don’t worry about blanket-hogging. Although, bed-hogging… I  _will_  cuddle you.”

His eyebrow arched again, but he nodded. Satisfied with that, Darcy went back outside, closing the door behind her but not locking it. She grabbed her coffee out of the cupholder in the front of the SUV, leaving her comforter sitting on the passenger seat for the time being, and went and settled herself on one of the wooden chairs. It was still warm, and she wrapped both hands around it.

The front door opened, and Darcy looked over, eyebrows up in surprise. Steve was there, all bundled up in his own sweater, coming outside. “Sleep?”

He shrugged as he walked outside, closing the door quietly behind him. “You’ll wake me up when you come to bed anyway.”

She winced. “Sorry. I can…” He was… Building up a fire? There was a firepit between the deckchairs, and he started making a fire like it was something he knew how to do. “That’s very efficient of you, Steve.”

He just gave her another look.

Pretty soon the fire was going, and Steve settled himself into the other deck chair. She watched him stretch his long legs out towards the fire, crossed at the ankles. “You know, now all we need is some beer and marshmallows and this night would be perfect.” She shivered as a chill crept up her spine. “And a blanket, maybe.” Darcy briefly debated the merits of getting her own blanket, but then it would get all dirty, and then she’d have to sleep under it…

Steve looked at her for a second, then got up and pushed his chair over to her. In just a second, his arm dropped over her shoulder. It helped a little, thanks to his super awesome metabolism he was a little warmer than the average person. But… “Thanks, but the armrest is making my ribs hurt.”

He looked at her for a second, and he gave her a small smile that could only be called  _adorable_. “You could come over here. It is warmer.”

Her eyes widened as she looked at him. Did he just… She stood and shifted over, then lowered herself directly on his lap. His arms came around her almost immediately, wrapping her in warmth. “Better?”

“Much, thank you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lovethathat:
> 
> AHHH. Darcy/Steve; sweaters and bonfires ;D


	131. Darcy/Steve 16

Steve was in his super spy disguise, which meant a pair of glasses with nonprescription lenses, a ball cap, and a hoodie he’d borrowed from Thor that hid his Dorito-like physique. But it was working. A couple of people gave him a second look, but it meant that their trip to the pumpkin patch to get a fresh pumpkin was mostly unremarkable.

“That one.” Darcy pointed to the largest pumpkin they’d seen so far.

Steve’s hands came to rest on his hips as he looked at her, one eyebrow raising. “Darce, that pumpkin is almost as big as you are.”

She put her hands on her hips, and looked back at him undaunted. “That’s a little bit of an exaggeration, don’t you think?” The prize pumpkin, the display pumpkin,  _that_  was about as big as Darcy was. She could probably hollow it out and convince Tony to make a pumpkin carriage for her- not that she hadn’t thought about it, but it was firmly  _not_  for sale. There was a sign on it and everything.

“Okay…” He took another long look down at the pumpkin. “It probably  _weighs_ about as much as you do.”

“Now you’ve painted yourself into a corner. Because if it weighs as much as I do, which is probably still an exaggeration, thank you, and you refuse to pick it up, you’re basically saying that  _I’m_  too heavy to pick up.” She stared at him for a second. “We  _have_  to get it now. It’s the principle of the thing.”

The corners of his mouth were twitching like he was trying not to smile. “I’m not sure that’s how that works. I seem to remember picking you up last night.”

Her belly twisted at the memory of the events that had taken place  _after_  he’d picked her up from where she’d been working at her computer. “Principle of the thing!” she shouted back, but she was grinning too. Okay, it was ridiculous. But if this was the biggest thing they argued about, they were doing pretty good.

“Okay.” He bent over and picked up the gigantic pumpkin easily, although he did hold it in two hands so that he wasn’t all, unnaturally strong guy picking up heavy pumpkins effortlessly.

“Thank you!” Darcy sang back at him. “Now we just need two more pumpkins and then we can go home.”

He took a pointed look down at the huge pumpkin in his hands, and back up at her. “We need  _more_  pumpkins?”

“Uh, where do you think pumpkin seeds and pumpkin puree come from? Haven’t you heard Clint talk about my pie?” Clint did really,  _really_  like her pie. Which, to be fair, she made  _awesome_  pie.

Steve opened his mouth, then closed it again, his cheeks going slightly pink. “I thought…”

She stared at him for a second, eyes widening and grin spreading until her face hurt. “You thought it was a euphemism? Oh my god, Steve, I don’t think it’s possible for you to get any more adorable right now.” She and Clint had had a thing at one point, that was true. But thinking back on how many times Clint had gone on about how much he really enjoyed her pie, she couldn’t help but start to laugh.

Steve said something about the internet and cream pie, but he was mumbling a little and she was laughing too hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobutsiriuslywhat:  
> 13: pumpkin picking. Darcy/Steve, please.


	132. Darcy/Steve/Thor

Darcy rested her elbows on the table and looked directly across at Jane. Jane who was doing her level best to ignore her, staring studiously at the screen of the laptop in front of her.

But if there was one thing Darcy had perfected, it was pestering Jane. She usually only used her powers for good- making sure Jane got out of the lab every now and again because she had a habit of getting caught up in her work. But this, this was an emergency.

She sat perfectly still, gaze locked on the brown eyes of her friends until Jane huffed out a sigh and looked up at her. “What?”

“So, apparently I have a type.”

Jane’s eyebrows came together before one rose as she nodded slowly. “Well, yeah.” As if it was the most obvious thing on the planet.

Then again, Darcy wasn’t  _exactly_  subtle. “Okay, but what do I do about it?”

“You’re asking me for advice about my ex and Captain America?” Jane’s eyebrow was in danger of disappearing into her pulled-back hair. She shrugged. “So you like big blond guys. You’re poly, Thor’s… open-minded, and I’m pretty sure Steve was involved in a mutually beneficial relationship with Peggy Carter and Bucky Barnes.”

Darcy could only stare for a second. “I feel like there’s a punchline somewhere in here. How do you even know that?”

“Know what?” Well,  _fuck_. From the look on Steve’s face, there was  _no_  chance he hadn’t heard that. Maybe… Maybe the kitchen wasn’t exactly the  _best_  place to be having this conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Darcy/Steve/Thor: "I feel like there's a punch line somewhere in here."  
>  ~~This will probably continue. Because reasons.~~  
>  This turned into a thing. Continuation found [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3916981).


	133. Darcy/Thor/Steve

Darcy leaned forward, resting the side of her helmeted head against the back of Steve’s dark brown leather jacket, her eyes closed. She was glad she’d listened to him and grabbed a pair of gloves before they’d taken off, the air was  _cold_  as they sped through the late April afternoon.

She had no idea where they were going. Steve did, of course. It was somewhere he’d been before, apparently, and just  _perfect_  for them to get away to for a weekend.

Thor knew where they were going, too. That was probably a good thing considering he’d be flying. There was no room on the back of Steve’s bike for him, too. Not that he wasn’t perfectly happy to fly. He was going to meet them _there_ , wherever  _there_  was.

She’d long since lost track of where they were going. She was perfectly happy to just sit there, though, snuggled up against Steve’s back as he guided them easily down the highway, weaving his bike in and out of traffic.

Every so often he would take one hand off the handlebars and press it over where hers were settled against his stomach. Yup. This was basically the best.

Eventually he took an offramp, pulling off the interstate and down into the little town that was clustered around the exit. He didn’t even slow down, though, continuing on until they hit a smaller highway on the other side. They went over a bridge, and then after a while they were turning right.

They were out in the middle of nowhere. And that was completely okay, it was nice to think about being able to maybe go outside with them? Look at the stars even? Yeah… This was starting to look better and better. Darcy sat up a little straight, taking in as much of the surroundings as she could.

They pulled to a stop outside what looked like some kind of cabin. Like, an actual no shit log cabin. It was on a lake, there were trees. It was really pretty, actually.

Steve held out his hand to help Darcy balance herself as she got off the bike. She climbed off, standing to the side, pulling off the helmet before indulging in a long stretch.

Thor was strolling over to them, hammer swinging idly in his hand. He was wearing a broad smile, and she couldn’t stop from moving to him and wrapping her arms around him. His free hand held her close for a moment. “I’ve managed the security system,” he told Steve over her head.

“Thanks.” Steve took the helmet from her, reaching back to put it on the bike before catching her hand.

Together, the three of them started walking towards the cabin’s front door. As they neared, though, Thor’s arm came up directly in front Darcy as he came to an abrupt stop. “There is someone within,” he announced, hefting the hammer in his hand as he looked at the door.

Steve sort of pulled Darcy behind him as Thor approached the door, moving like some sort of predatory cat.

The door burst open, a slight, dark-haired woman standing there with her hands up. “I’m sorry?” Her eyes moved between the three of them, and she looked like she might pass out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> How about Darcy/Steve/Thor, A Southern Thang by better than Ezra for song prompt?


	134. Angie/Peggy

The lights flickered just an instant before the subway car squealed to a halt. Darcy reflexively pulled her heavy tote bag closer. “Are you fucking kidding me?” she muttered, peering around to try and find out why her morning commute had been interrupted. “I’m going to be late on my first day of work because MTA can’t keep their shit together?”

The door at the side slid open, and some dude all in black with some sort of fucking rifle in his hands stormed onto the train. He looked some weird combination of scared and threatening. “Yeah, not today, asshole.”

Okay. So the TASER  _technically_ wasn’t legal in New York, but seriously? Commuting from her low-rent apartment to the middle of Manhattan for her new PR internship basically  _required_  some form of personal protection. So she pulled out her TASER and let the asshole have it.

He was just twitching to a stop on the floor of the car when a  _huge_  blond stepped on board-  _holy fuck, was that Thor_? Darcy watched the news.

Fucking Thor stared at the man for a moment as if trying to determine why, exactly, he was lying on the floor, and his eyes followed the leads from dude in black to the weapon in Darcy’s hands.

She dropped it immediately and gave him her best innocent look.

“You? You harnessed the power of electricity and rendered this man unconscious?” Was that… Approval? Like… He sounded… Pleased?

“Yes?”

Holy fuck, his smile. Darcy basically  _had_  to smile in return. “Truly, you have done a great service, Lady…?”

“Darcy.”

He stepped across the unconscious man and picked up her hand from where it was hanging at her side, lifting it to his mouth to press a kiss to the back of it. The way his lips dragged slightly across her skin was just  _not right_. “I hope to see you again soon, Lady Darcy.”

All she could do was stare after him as he stepped away from her, effortlessly lifting the dude from the floor. He paused, winking at her on his way out of the subway car.

“I love New York,” she said to herself, sinking back into her seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 23) meeting on a train ride au


	135. Darcy/Thor 2

“Okay, but you have a little brother. You  _must_  have pulled shit on him when you were growing up.” Darcy looked over at Thor from where she was nestled in his lap. “I know it was forever ago, but seriously.”

His smile was indulgent as he leaned over to kiss her temple. “I may have… Done something like that when we were boys.”

“Okay, so… Like… Clint is kinda like a brother to us, right? And he totally deserves some return shit, after everything he pulls around here.” She nodded. “Me? He’ll know it’s me right off. We’ve been pranking each other since New Mexico. But you…” She trailed off, walking her fingers down the center of his chest. “He would never expect you.”

“And what…” He shifted her back into the curve of his arm a little more. “What would you have me do?”

She shifted forward until her lips were brushing his ear, and she started to whisper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 11) partners in crime au


	136. Darcy/Thor 3

“Okay… Remind me again why we’re doing this?” Darcy was sitting on the desk, leaning forward to grip the front, her legs swinging slightly. It wasn’t much good as anything more than a chair anyway, it wasn’t like Thor was actually going to fit comfortably under it.

“Lady Pepper suggested it would be good for my public image.” Well, that was true. If  _Thor_  became an actual citizen, you know, trying to become one with the culture, aliens are harmless, go America, blah blah blah.

“And I’ve been tapped to help you prepare because of my fabulous degree. Awesome. Well…” She looked over at the laptop that was open on the desk beside her, facing her. “There’s an oral section…” There was no missing the way his brilliant eyes cut to her, and Darcy could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. She kept her eyes on the screen. “You’re not going to be tested on  _that_.”

“A shame.” He was moving towards her, steps slow and wide, she couldn’t  _not_  look up at him. “I’ve always acquitted myself well with such.” He loomed over her, hands coming to rest on the edge of the desk beside hers, and she had to lean back to avoid a face full of shoulder. “Shall I show you?”

She made a faint squeaking noise as he leaned down to kiss her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 3) teacher/student au


	137. Darcy/Thor 4

There were certain benefits to knowing someone who could fly, and this was definitely one of them. Darcy loved New York, but there were no stars in New York. The night lights of the city were pretty, but they weren’t the same at all.

Darcy bundled herself up in a blanket and clung to Thor for dear life as he sped through the air. When they landed, she stepped away from him and pulled the blanket from her shoulders, draping it across the tall grass before climbing gingerly on.

Thor’s body weight helped more than hers did, flattening the grass beneath them until the blanket was actually touching the ground. He lay on his back, one arm outstretched, the other hand propping up his head, and Darcy joined him, resting her own head on his outstretched arm.

“The night sky looks very different here than it does on Asgard,” he told her, and she nodded.

“I believe it. Apparently you also see different stars depending on where you are on Earth as well.” The things you picked up when you interned for an astrophysicist. She’d noticed something lately, though, and she figured that it might have just been a coincidence, but the more it happened, the less coincidental it seemed. “You don’t call Asgard home anymore.”

Thor was silent for a few seconds, seeming to think about it. “I suppose I don’t,” he mused. “I have been here for some time, now; it feels more welcoming to me than Asgard has for quite some time.”

“I’m glad,” Darcy said, her eyes tracing through the thousands upon thousands of stars. “It makes me worry less that you’ll just fuck off somewhere again. Long-term, I mean. And yes, two years is a long time here.”

She felt him shift, rolling onto his side until he was staring down at her, a shadowed silhouette against the sky. “You worry that I would leave?”

“Sure.” She swallowed. “You’re, you know, important here. Save the world and all that.”

“Is that the only reason, sweet Darcy?” There was a significant weight to his tone as he looked down at her, his hand settling gently on her hip.

Her crush on him had grown exponentially since he and Jane had amicably gone their separate ways, but she hadn’t acted on it because he’d never indicated that he might see her as anything more than a friend. Although from the way his fingers were brushing over the outside curve of her ass, that had changed.

Hadn’t it? “No?” 

Even in the dark, she could see his smile as his lips lowered towards hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> firstladyofthestage:  
> 6) things you said under the stars and in the grass


	138. Darcy/Thor 5

Getting married wasn’t something Darcy had strong feelings about one way or the other. She knew it was important to Thor, though, so when he took both of her hands in his and brought them up to hold against his chest, his blue eyes bright with sincerity and tenderness, and asked her to marry him, she said yes.

She was content to let Thor and Pepper handle most of the details, her only serious tasks were finding something to wear and helping Thor taste in wedding cake samples, which ended up with icing in each other’s hair, cake smashed into the floor, and a lot of laughter.

The day, came, though, and Darcy marched her happy ass up to where Thor and Clint (ordained by the state of New York, thank you very much) were waiting for her on one end of the Avengers Tower roof (Thor had insisted). Vows were spoken, she may have teared up a bit, and when he kissed her at the end, lifting her up against his chest so she didn’t have to crane her neck back, she wrapped her legs around his waist and there was probably more tongue involved than was maybe appropriate.

The reception afterwards, well… Some of Thor’s buddies from Asgard were there, and it got a bit, um… loud. That was fine, though, everyone looked like they were having a great time.

Darcy couldn’t stop smiling. She stepped outside onto the balcony, a glass of fizzy champagne in one hand and the wide skirt of her dress- specifically chosen so she  _could_  wrap her legs around Thor when appropriate- pulled up in the other so she wouldn’t trip.

She dropped her skirt and rested her hand on the balcony, staring out over the city. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the lights of New York at night twinkled and shone before her, as far as she could see.

After a moment, she felt a pair of strong arms slip around her waist, pulling her back against a broad chest. She smiled, leaning back against her husband and feeling him rest his chin gently on top of her head.

“Thank you,” he told her quietly, his voice barely carrying over the noise from inside.

She turned towards him, holding his shoulder. He was wearing some kind of tunic and leather-looking pants, the front of his hair pulled back from his face. He was smiling too, like he’d never stop. “You wanna go look at the stars?”

One hand moved away from her back, held out to the side. In just a second, Mjolnir flew into his hand, and he held it up over his head. “Hold on, my love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> missdarcygirl:  
> music prompt. Bright by Echosmith


	139. Darcy/Thor 6

After Jane and Thor had done their whole amicable split thing, Darcy found her apartment filled with Asgardian a lot more often. And, like, just Thor, but he seemed to take up the whole damn apartment. She didn’t even live in the same state, but then again, with his whole Mjolnir-flying thing, getting from New York to Virginia wasn’t a big deal.

He’d just let him in her window, too, which was… Well, it was a thing. So when she came out of her bathroom, just fastening her earring, she wasn’t entirely surprised to see him standing in the middle of her living room.

His blue eyes raked over her, a slow descent from forehead to toe, taking in the red halter and black skinny jeans she had on. The only thing that was missing was her heels, and they were over by the door.

“You look…” There was a heat to his voice, but he ended innocently enough. “Well.”

“Yeah. Figured I’d go out dancing. I don’t have to work tomorrow, so if I end up not coming home until… early? No big.” She went to move past him, in search of her heels. “You could come with if you wanted.”

His brow  _furrowed_  as he watched her move through the living room. “That’s more a parody of sex than it is dancing.”

He’d never actually gone with her before, but it didn’t really surprise her that Thor knew what was up. “Yeah, that’s kinda the point. Grind for a while, endorphins and shit, maybe go home and have some sex.” Her eyes moved over him- blue t-shirt that brought out his eyes to an  _unfair_ degree, and slightly-faded jeans. “You’re not really dressed for it, but one look at your arms, and I don’t think anyone will even care.” Her eyes lingered there for a second before she bent over to set her shoes out to step into them. “I sure as shit don’t.”

When she stood up, he was suddenly  _right there_ , and fuck he moved too quietly. “Why do you seek others?” He was standing close enough that she could  _see_  the pulse in his neck. “I would take you, test you, and when you pleaded for mercy, I would show you where you limit truly was.”

She stared up at him and licked her suddenly very-dry lips. “That’s…” Her voice cracked. Smooth. “That’s quite the offer.”

“What say you?” He stepped into her until she was pressed back against the wall, her breasts brushing against the front of his shirt. One hand braced against the wall beside her head, his eyes dark and intense as they stared into hers. “Will you take me between your legs? Dance against my tongue?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> If you're still taking song prompts;pony Ginuwine or Rihanna Darcy/whoever, please?
> 
> Yuss. This is the Rihanna version, which felt a little more raw somehow, and which I'd never heard before. The original took me back, though. Waaaaaaaaaaaay back.
> 
> Reaches a smutty conclusion [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4547604).


	140. Darcy/Thor 7

Darcy had forgotten her stylus in the conference room that morning, and she was starting to get friendly emails about the number of those stupid things she went through, so she walked her happy ass back to the room to see if she couldn’t find it.

The door was open, though the lights were off. There was someone in there- Thor, there was no one else who was built quite like Thor. He was standing at the full-length plate-glass windows, staring out into the swirling snow. It was already starting to get dark, but she could tell that he didn’t exactly look happy.

Her stylus, however, was sitting out on the table, the black cut a sharp relief against the pale wood. She moved to it and picked it up, intending to slip silently back out, but his voice stopped her.

“Please, don’t leave.” He half-turned towards her, like he’d known exactly who was in the room with him before he’d seen her.

And that was an, “I need a hug,” tone if she ever heard one. She went to him, and stepped in against his body when he opened his arms for her, tucking herself against him with her head under his chin, arms tightly around his waist.

He held her for a while, his own arms tightly around her back. She knew that if he wanted to talk about it, he would get there on his own time, and sure enough he did. “I was thinking on how much I miss winters in Asgard. Gathering around the fire, sharing tales and drinking mead long into the night as the snow silences everything outside.”

Darcy thought for a moment, then pulled back enough to look up into his face. “Awesome. I can do that. Let me… Grab my coat? We’ll go shopping.” She made to move away completely, but the arms around her stopped her.

“What do you mean?” There was curiosity in his blue eyes as he stared down at her.

“We’re going to buy a portable fireplace. I mean, I know it’s not the same, but it’s hot, there are flames, it’s pretty. I  _know_  you still have some of that horrible mead stashed away somewhere and you can drink that.”

Thor looked down at her for a long moment. “And you? What will you drink?”

“Irish coffee. ‘Cause… That mead shit makes my clothes fall off.” She gave him a nod.

“I would not object if your clothes were to suddenly vanish,” he told her with a wink, and she became very aware of a sudden heat in his expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> capnteezy:  
> “Please, don’t leave.”


	141. Darcy/Thor 8

Darcy pinched the bridge of her nose between her finger and thumb and made a face. “Why, exactly, are you trying to set me up with your ex?”

“Because you’re lonely,” Jane answered with what was probably supposed to be a smile of commiseration and only kinda pulled it off.

Darcy sighed, her hands resting on her hips. “I’m not lonely, thank you very much. I have five cats. I’m good!”

“You have one cat, and things are much more bearable around here when you’re getting laid on the regular.” Tony was smirking a little when she looked over to where he was standing on the other side of the lab. He wasn’t even looking at her, instead poking at his holographic display thingy. Which was the technical term. “Don’t look at me, that’s directly from SHIELD. Well…” He twisted his hand back and forth, gently tapping the tablet he was holding against the side of his other hand. “From Coulson via Pepper.”

“Seriously?” Her eyebrows went up as she stared at him in disbelief. There was no  _way_  Coulson would have commented on that.

“Not exactly,” Jane said, shooting her own glare across the lab at Tony. “But apparently you’re intimidating the low-ranking SHIELD employees a little.”

“And I suggested that it’s because you haven’t gotten laid since you broke up with whatsisname.” He glanced between them before looking back at his display, his eyes lingering for a second on Jane. “And since Jane likes that thing I do with my tongue…”

Jane was bright red, and looked about two seconds from going over there and taking Tony down a peg or two. Which, really, Darcy was all about seeing. “That’s not true.”

“That’s not what you said this morning.”

Jane closed her eyes briefly like she was summoning patience, turning her back on the knowing look Tony was giving her. “But you have been cooped up with work a lot lately, and Thor always has you dying with laughter, and I thought… Social situation with a friend that has nothing to do with managing scientists for a night might be kind of nice.”

“See…” Darcy shrugged, shaking her head. “Why didn’t you lead with that? I can get into that. And you…” She narrowed her eyes as she looked over at Tony, who just looked up to grin in response. “I know where you sleep.”

He shrugged, apparently unphased by her threat. “Jane sleeps there, too.”

“Sure. But I love Jane and know how to get her up.  _You_ …” She gave him one final glare before turning and heading for the glass door of the lab.

“I sort of told Thor you’d meet him for lunch,” Jane called after her, and Darcy looked back to see Jane shrug, what was  _almost_  an apologetic look on her face.

Sure enough, when she turned back around, she could see Thor striding down the hall towards the lab, a broad smile on his face. She yanked open the door to the lab and stepped out into the hall. “I have a cat,” she announced as Thor drew close enough to talk to without yelling.

He looked down at her for a second like he was trying to work out what she was getting at. “Are you… Going to introduce us?”

Her hands went on her hips as she looked up at him. “Maybe.”

Laughing, he stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the floor in a huge hug. And Darcy relaxed a little, winding her arms up around his neck. Hugging Thor was always nice. And lunch would be good. Thor was always up for trying a random place they hadn’t eaten before to see if it was any good. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pentheseileia:  
> Darcy/your favorite Marvel character. "I'm not lonely, thank you very much. I have five cats."
> 
> I'm not actually sure what happened here.


	142. Darcy/Thor 9

Thor had been a little surprised when Jane called him to tell him that he needed to have lunch with Darcy. Usually when Darcy wanted to spend time with him, she got in touch with him herself, or more often simply showed up where he happened to be. It was true that he hadn’t heard from her in a while, but he knew the demands of her work had been particularly involving lately, and he wasn’t worried.

He agreed, however, saying he would meet Darcy at Jane’s lab that very day. And so, at the appropriate time, he made his way towards Jane’s lab. He could see Darcy standing before the door, turning to say something to the occupants within before admitting herself into the hallway.

“I have a cat,” she announced as he drew near.

He looked at her for a moment, wondering what had prompted this revelation. He hadn’t heard of her owning a pet before, she must have acquired it since the last time they spoke. And yet, it seemed some sort of challenge. “Are you… Going to introduce us?” If the animal was important to her, however, Thor was prepared to make it important to him.

Her hands rested on her hips as she considered him. “Maybe,” she answered, as though this was something that warranted serious deliberation.

He laughed at the seriousness in her tone. This was the biggest reason he enjoyed spending time with Darcy. She was witty, sometimes even when she perhaps didn’t mean to be. He bent over, his arms wrapping around her waist to lift her up against him. He liked the way she felt in his arms, and after a moment he felt her return his embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more alternate POV, this one is from the previous chapter


	143. Darcy/Thor 10

Darcy burst into her apartment yanking her heels off impatiently before making her way through to where Thor was sitting on the couch with his tablet and Sir Fluffins in his lap. He raised an eyebrow as he looked up at her, the very visible tensing of his shoulders under his shirt making it clear that he was ready to kick some ass if he needed to, but he was totally cool with waiting until she asked him to. “What is amiss?”

“Dude,  _fuck_  dating.” She tossed her purse onto the coffee table a little bit too hard, and it skated right off the table and onto the floor on the other side. Ugh. Whatever. She walked over and flumped down on the couch as gently as she could so Sir Fluffins, her fluffy tuxedo cat, didn’t get scared and claw up Thor’s legs. Sir Fluffins loved Thor. Apparently the feeling was mutual, Thor constantly praised Sir Fluffins as a “mighty hunter.” Whatever. Roommates were best when everyone got along.

His arm extended across the back of the couch to drop over her shoulders, tugging gently until she collapsed against his side. “What happened?”

One hand pushed through Sir Fluffins’ fur as she let out a long sigh, nestling herself into Thor’s side. “Okay, so our last date… The guy’s got a big dick, right? But he thinks that means he just kinda has to show up and flop it around, and that’ll be enough.” Thor made a strange choking noise, but he didn’t say anything. “But I figured, you know, everyone has a bad day or whatever, I could give him another chance. But then today…”

She let out a long sigh, rolling her head back against Thor’s upper arm, eyes closing. “Today he’s all, ‘Hey, so, the Avengers!’ Apparently he saw me on the news and figured he could, you know, meet me and then meet you guys.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him to go fuck himself.” Darcy pulled her feet up onto the cushion in front of her and wrapped her other arm around them. “I’d rather hang out at home with my awesome roommate than subject myself to more of him.”

She felt Thor’s lips moving over the top of her hair, and she smiled. Thor was basically the best roommate ever. She’d sort of moved into his apartment when she’d moved into the tower, and they’d never really gotten around to arranging for her to get her own place. That was okay, though. Thor was the best at cuddles. Well, okay, he was tied with Sir Fluffins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trooperschaf:  
> Surrender by Billy Talent with Thor/Darcy


	144. Darcy/Thor 11

“Tell me again why I let you talk me into this?” Tony asked from the pilot’s seat, his voice carrying easily back into the large compartment at the back of the quinjet.

“Um, because s’mores and drunk Jane?” Darcy helpfully supplied.

“Hey!” Jane protested. It was like a token protest, though. Like she felt obligated to protest, but even  _she_  knew what was up.

“And they wouldn’t give us a permit on such late notice to do this on your roof?” And she’d tried. And when she hadn’t been able to pull it off, Tony had tried. When even he’d failed, they’d all piled onto the quinjet to fly out to some remote location, everything they needed stashed in a pile at the side of the aircraft.

All- her and Jane, of course, Tony piloting, Bruce sitting beside Jane with his arm around her, Steve and Sam standing over there being all  _not_  cuddle-face but still pretty close together, and Thor. Across whose thighs Darcy was currently sitting, because Thor was a very hands-on kind of guy.

He, in fact, was the whole impetus for the trip. He’d never had s’mores before. Apparently Asgard wasn’t big on processed food, which was probably why they all lived so long or whatever. But he liked PopTarts, and since s’mores were just another flavor of gooey sugar surrounded by carbs, Darcy thought they’d probably go over pretty well. And bonfires weren’t permitted within city limits.

“This looks good.” The quinjet started a gradual descent, and Darcy wrapped her arms around Thor. Not that she was, you know, going anywhere. But he was wearing the snugly dark green  sweater she’d knit for him and it was like getting another hug  _while she was already getting a hug_. It was like hugception.

His hand spread across the middle of her back, holding her against his chest until the quinjet touched down. It took a second, but then the ramp was dropping at the back.

Darcy got to her feet, pausing to pick up her backpack before heading down into the chill fall night air. They really were out in the middle of nowhere, some kind of foresty area. There was a space for them, enough room to safely build up a fire and all sort of congregate around it.

Her backpack clanked as she gently set it on the ground, the glass bottles inside settling against each other. It was only a second before Thor was moving past her, his hand brushing over her shoulder as he went. And he started making a firepit. And he sure knew how to make a firepit. In no time, there was the beginnings of a fire built up.

“I thought you guys were all superior technology,” Tony mused from where he was making liquid s’mores with marshmallow vodka. “But you got that going like that’s how you heat your hut in the winter.”

“There are few things finer than sitting around a fire with the ones you love,” Thor answered as he unfolded one of Tony’s surprisingly compact folding chairs and setting it in the dirt.

Darcy ended up settled on Thor again, her head on his shoulder as she sipped her s’mores, a quilt pulled over their legs. His lips moved against her forehead, and she turned her face up for a lingering kiss. “I’m glad we did this,” she said as he pulled away, a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> indubitably26 asked:  
> #19 Darcy/Thor?  
> 19) sweaters and bonfires


	145. Darcy/Thranduil

Alfheim had  _seemed_  like a good idea. Darcy had ended up there by some sort of freak, probably Loki-related incident. And it was super pretty there. Apparently Middle Earth was based on Alfheim, which raised some interesting questions. But it was cool. You know, pretty trees, she got to ride this giant deer-elk-thing. Very cool. There were worse places to be stuck.

Okay, so there was one major drawback. There wasn’t a whole lot of  _privacy_. Everywhere she went, there were guards. Like… Even when she was having quiet time with Thranduil- yeah, that’s right. Jane wasn’t the only one who could score a hot, blond alien boyfriend. But even when she was alone with him, they weren’t really  _alone_.

She’d managed to persuade him to go out without the cadre of guards for once, though. She was perched in front of him on the giant elk-deer-thing that had truly impressive horns, snuggled back against him as they rode through the forest. His hand was flat across her abdomen, holding her close against him. This was pretty fucking awesome.

And then it… Wasn’t. There was a sudden sharp, heavy pain in her shoulder, consuming her, turning everything kinda hazy around the edges. Nauseated, she felt nauseated, and the pain wouldn’t go away.

“Hey,” she said faintly looking down at the long, thin black piece of wood sticking out of her. An arrow, she realized distantly. “That’s not okay.”

Thranduil was already pulling her off the mount. He took the time to lay her on the ground, and then he just kinda vanished. She knew that he was some sort of warrior king, kept himself armed all the time or whatever. She stared up at the branches far above her. Green, they were very green. They looked like velvet reaching out to hold each other’s hands.

The pain was spreading in a very persistent way, but she felt it like she was floating slightly above her above and she’d kinda left it behind. Cold, it was cold without Thranduil pressed up behind her. She was shivering, every tremor of her body sent the pain further through her until her  _other_  hand hurt.

Something obscured the reaching green velvet. She felt a tickle against her cheek- Thranduil’s long, soft hair. She tried to smile up at him, but her face was tired and just didn’t want to. He was speaking, the words sliding pleasantly through her ears like silk. She tried to reach up to touch his face, but her arm wouldn’t do what she wanted to. Her body had stopped shaking, though.

He had such pretty eyes, they hung over her looking distinctly unhappy. She tried to smile again, but her cheeks felt sluggish. Her vision was getting dark around the edges like the world was narrowing in. She felt a hand resting heavy across her sternum, and then the world was ripped in half.

Someone was screaming. And then… nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uruvielnumenesse:  
> ThranduilxDarcy towards the sun by rihanna
> 
> AU where Middle Earth is based on Alfheim. IT COULD HAPPEN.


	146. Darcy/Thranduil 2

“What is that?” The slightly disdainful question pulled Darcy’s attention away from where she was straining up on her toes, trying to hang something. She looked behind her and sighed. Apparently Steve’s tall, blond alien boyfriend had brought another tall blond alien to Earth with him on his latest visit. Thranduil? That was his name. Darcy still wasn’t entirely sure why the two of them were buddies. Thor liked to have fun. Thranduil seemed to be a black hole of fun.

“It’s a ghost. You know, oooh scary ghostie?” From the expression on his face, it wasn’t computing.

To be fair, it was more adorable than scary, Darcy had made him out of felt. Him and a dozen others. If Tony could make the Tower into a giant Christmas tree, then Darcy felt perfectly fine with turning it into the world’s most adorable haunted house. You know, “haunted.”

“The spirits of my realm look nothing like this.” He seemed to have one setting, haughty blankness. She could practically feel the fun leeching out of the room.

Darcy nodded. “Yeah. We don’t really have ghosts on this planet. Well…” She paused, thinking for a minute, then shrugged. “Not that I know of, anyway. But this is meant more to make people smile than scream. Jane’s got a thing about horror, and…” Haughty blankness. Sighing, she shrugged and turned back to the window.

She rose up on her toes again, one hand gripping the edge of the wall around the window as she reached up. “Tony!” Not that he’d hear her, probably, but JARVIS could be counted on to get the message across. “Why isn’t there a fucking stepstool in this entire tower?” This.  _This_  was what happened when everyone around you was either over six feet taller or flew. Or was Pepper. Pepper was tall, but Darcy was pretty sure she just got things from too-high places with sheer force of badassery. Pepper probably would repel Thranduil’s fun-leeching abilities.

A long-fingered hand was extending up beside hers, and Darcy  _jumped_ , dropping the ghostie on the floor. “Fuck.” She hadn’t even heard him move, and now he was apparently so close that when she bent down to get said ghostie, his robes of kingly badassery or whatever brushed against her legs.

When she straightened he was holding his hand out to her. She glanced from his hand to his face, then shrugged and gave him the little felt ghostie.

Being in the over six-foot-club, he easily reached up and hung it on the hook at  the top of the casing. “There?”

“Uh, yeah.” She peered up at him as he brought his arm back down to his side. “Thanks.”

Was that… Was that a smile? The corners of his lips turned up a little and his face relaxed, and she got the impression that this was the way this man grinned. “May I assist you?”

“Uh…” His hand had brushed against her upper arm as he asked, and she narrowed her eyes a little as she looked up at him. Flirting? Was this… Flirting? “That would be great?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uruvielnumenesse asked:  
> Ghost and you know which pairing  
> (Thranduil. Obviously)


	147. Darcy/Tony

“So,” Darcy said slowly, leaning back in her chair with her eyebrows raised. “Let me get this straight. You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend.”

“That’s…” Tony’s arms were folded across his chest. “What I said, yeah.”

“Why? This is a little outside of my job description.” PR Diva, occasional scientist-wrangler, and coffee-maker extraordinaire- nowhere on that list was ‘billionaire’s fake girlfriend.’

“You’re young, you’re gorgeous… Great rack.” His eyes dropped down appreciatively, but looked back up before it got lewd. Er.

Darcy shook her head. “Doesn’t answer my question. Why does the great Tony Stark need a pretend girlfriend?”

“I’m one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet.” He sounded… A little disgruntled, actually. “And I just want to go to this conference and do my thing without having to worry about being interrupted every two seconds because I’m ‘available.’ Not being available will help tremendously.”

Her eyes narrowed in thought. She’d seen the schedule, Jane was going to the same conference. “We’re a couple months out, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but this way, you’re actually my established girlfriend instead of just some girl I’m taking there to fuck for the weekend.“

“Okay, but what if you actually meet someone you want to fuck?” Not that she was thinking about it or anything.

“Won’t happen. Trust me, Snow White, I’m not even looking.”

She let out a long sigh. “So what would I need to do?”

He was on his feet, moving around the desk to perch on the edge of it on her side. “Be seen in public with me, a little PDA, pretending to be absolutely smitten by my genius and charms. We’d be sharing a room at the conference, but I’ll put something on to sleep if it makes you feel better.”

She stared up at him, chewing on her lower lip as she deliberated. “I don’t know…”

“Please?” That was a word that Tony didn’t say often. “I’ll take care of any wardrobe requirements you have.”

Darcy watched him in silence for another couple of seconds. “Fine.”

“Great.” In a second, he took her hands in both of his and was pulling her gently to her feet.

“What’re you doing?” she asked in some alarm as he pulled until her hands were behind him, her arms around his waist.

“Established girlfriend. This way, the first time I bend you over my arm and kiss you in public you won’t totally freeze up because we’ve done it before.” She had just enough time to see him smirk before he… bent her over his arm and proceeded to thoroughly kiss her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 7) fake relationship au


	148. Darcy/Tony 2

“I know you.” That sounded just a little like an accusation.

Darcy lifted her head from where she’d been laying on the table on her outstretched arm and squinted a little to focus on… Oh. Tony Stark. Awesome. It was a good thing she was drunk enough to deal with this, then.

“You’re Jane’s Pepper.” He had a glassy-eyed look that suggest he might not be entirely sober either.

While Jane hadn’t exactly gifted her with multi-national billion dollar companies, that wasn’t entirely inaccurate. “Darcy.”

He snapped his fingers. “That’s the one.” Hazel eyes moved over her. “You don’t look like you’re having too much fun.”

She shrugged and looked around. “Normally I’d be all over something like this, but it’s… been a rough week and the person I’m here to morally support is getting her morals supported by her gorgeous boyfriend somewhere.” Sitting up, she sighed. “I’m not this kind of drunk. Usually I’m all talky and affectionate, but…”

He offered her his hand, and she stared at it for a second. “I want to show you something.”

“Okay.” Shrugging, she got to her feet. He kept her hand, leading her from the welcome-to-the-tower party and out, down the hall to the elevator. She watched as he pressed a button that was higher than the floor they were on, and then grabbed his arm as the elevator felt like it lurched up. Normally it was a lot smoother… How much had she had to drink, anyway?

“Affectionate, huh?” Tony’s tone made Darcy roll her eyes.

They ended up in… His penthouse? In a closet. If by closet you meant, “extra small room that happened to house clothes and things.” Tony had a lot of suits. And shoes. Seriously.

But he sat on the floor and pulled her down beside him and they ended up sitting and mutually commiserating. It was actually… kinda great.

“What do you miss the most?” Tony asked after a while.

“Sleeping with someone.” She waved her hand for emphasis. “Not, like, the whole sex thing, that’s easy enough to come by. But cuddling up with someone, close enough that you can feel them breathing as you fall asleep…” She nodded. “That. What about you?” She was kinda hoping he would say the same thing. ‘Cause not like she was going to ask Tony Stark to sleep with her, but she was  _totally_  going to ask Tony Stark to sleep with her.

“Oh, that’s a good answer. I’ll take that one, too. Of course… It seems that I spent a lot of the time in the doghouse on the couch, anyway.”

Darcy made a face. “That’s rough. What about angry, heated, furniture-breaking fight-sex?” When Tony shook his head, she shrugged. “Yeah. Ian wasn’t exactly into that, either. Which is why  _he_  is still in London, and  _I_  am in New York. We should.” She gestured between them.

“Have furniture-breaking sex?” His eyes moved over her, a heated look accompanied by a knowing smirk.

“Uh, no. Least not while I’m drunk. Sleep together, though. We should do that.”

He stared at her for a second, and then he was on his feet so fast that he almost fell over. He stooped, though, and grabbed her hand again, pulling her up too. They made their way out of the closet and back into a bedroom with an embarrassingly large bed.

Tony dropped her hand and just started pulling off clothes until he was down to a pair of boxer-briefs. He slid up the bed and under the covers, looking at her expectantly.

She stared at him for a second, then shrugged and started shedding clothing, until she was just down to her shirt and panties, bra having been pulled out through the arm of her shirt. She joined him in bed.

“I’m the big spoon,” he insisted, pushing on her hip to turn her away from him, then cuddling up behind her, his arm tightly around her waist.

Darcy settled back against him, shifting until she was comfortable. And it really was comfortable. It was surprisingly easy to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hollyspacey  
> 17) meeting at a party whilst drunk au


	149. Darcy/Tony 3

Darcy was surprised to see Tony walking into Jane’s lab. And he wasn’t just ambling in like he happened to be there, he was actually striding forward, his eyes fixed on her like he’d been looking for her.

“Hey,” she said, eyebrows going up in question as she looked at him. “What’s going on? Party over already?”

They’d done a saving-New-York thing, and Darcy usually bowed out of the after-party things a little early because it was a whole bunch of recounting what had happened and how close everyone had come to dying, which made her worry more  _next_  time. She was a little too keyed up to sleep, yet, so she was catching up one some 

“No.” He walked over and leaned back against the edge of the table she was working at, arms folded across his chest as he looked down at her.

“Okay.” She stared up at him for second. “You lost on your way to the bathroom?”

His eyes were fixed on hers, silent for long enough that she started getting a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny. “You left.”

“Yeah. Hearing about how close you all come to death makes me worry when you go out next time. I’m all, ‘Oh shit, I hope  _that_  doesn’t happen again. What if it does?’” Darcy shrugged. “You worry me.”

Tony held his arms out to her, and she smiled a little, getting to her feet and pressing herself against him. Her arms went around his waist, her cheek against his chest. “Do you want me to stop?” There was fear in his voice as he closed his arms around her, real fear at what she might say. But he was still asking, and that counted for something.

“No.” She pulled back enough to look up into his hazel eyes. “You tried that once, remember?”

“Yeah. It was the right decision at the time.”

“I know it was. But is it the right decision now?”

His eyes searched hers for a long moment, and at last he shook his head. “No. Just… Tell me it’s not pushing you away.”

Darcy took in a deep breath and let it out as a long sigh. “It’s not. I just worry. Okay?” She leaned up and gave him a gentle kiss.

“Move in with me, Darcy.”

Her lips turned up into a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> "Smoke and Mirrors" Imagine Dragons


	150. Darcy/Tony 4

“Oh my fucking god!” Darcy winced as she realized she’d spoken a little louder than she probably should have. She glanced over at the bed, taking comfort in the sight of the shadowed lump on the bed. Tony had actually fallen asleep at a mostly reasonable hour, and she’d feel really,  _really_  bad if she’d woken him up.

She knew better. She absolutely knew better than to Google herself. There was an actual PR department that handled that, and would pass along anything relevant that she needed to know. “Ugh. I need to stop.” Still, she couldn’t keep her eyes off of the glowing screen of her tablet.

“Stop what?” came the question from the bed, and Darcy made a face.

“Sorry. Did I wake you up?”

“No, I was just looking for someone to curl up with, and then you started shouting.”

She winced again. “Sorry.” She turned the tablet off and moved back towards the bed, letting Tony reach out and pull her down into his arms. She was on the wrong side, but she didn’t particularly want to move as he settled her against him.

“Stop what?” he asked again, brushing his lips gently against hers.

“Googling myself.” She couldn’t see the hazel of his eyes in the soft light coming in from outside, but she could tell he was concerned.

“Yeah. We have a department for that, you know.”

“I know.” She sighed. “I just… I’m not used to actually seeing myself out there. I’m, you know, nobody.” As opposed to her billionaire-super hero boyfriend. Darcy had just moved in with him and they’d gone officially public with their relationship, and the backlash was insane. Mostly against her, of course, because misogyny, yay.

“But you’re my nobody.” He grinned when she gave his shoulder a shove. “Do you really care what they say?”

“No. I’m just worried that… Okay. It’s dumb. It’s officially dumb. I’m being dumb.”

He gave her another gentle kiss. “I can’t agree or disagree unless you tell me what you’re allegedly being dumb about.”

“I’m just worried, like… All these people are saying all these things, and I’m just worried that you’ll be all, ‘Hey, that’s a good point.’” She rushed on before he had a chance to say anything, officially putting herself in babbling territory. “And I know you wouldn’t, which is where the being dumb comes in, and it’s stupid and irrational, but-”

Tony kissed her again, stopping her mid-sentence. “I have been ignoring what the media says for years. Trust me, the only people whose opinions I care about in regards to our relationship are in this bed.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

His arms tightened around her, rolling them over until she was on the proper side of the bed. “There. I didn’t ask you to move in so I could sleep alone.”

She turned away from him, settling her back against his chest, nestling herself against him. He was right. This was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ofdreamsandomens:  
> 12) things you said when you thought i was asleep


	151. Darcy/Tony 5

Darcy said it first. She hadn’t meant to, it just kinda slipped out. Tony was going off to fight… someone. Someone bad, and there was a mechanical monster of some kind, she’d find out later.

So she’d kissed him before the mask slid down- and seriously, the suit made him over a foot taller than her. And then she’d been up on her tiptoes, hands on his shoulders, looking up into his face, and, “Be careful, I love you,” had come out.

It really hadn’t been the best time for a first  _I love you_ , obviously. He had all of two seconds to smile and then he’d had to go and fight mechanical evil, and Darcy had needed to stay behind and gather facts about the day and monitor their communication system so that when it was all over and someone needed to give the press a statement, she could pull together a relevant something to say. Because that was her job. Side bonus- it gave her the opportunity to distance herself from the situation, which helped with the worry.

They saved the day. No one was seriously injured, that was always a good thing. Darcy took her happy ass downstairs to the sidewalk in front of the building where the press had gathered, waiting for her to say something.

She did. The facts, a little sassy humor, a couple of questions. This part was always the worst, because she knew everyone was coming home. And Tony was always the first one home. Always. He’d meet her in the elevator on the way up, chances were usually pretty good for an elevator quickie because adrenaline, and then they’d meet everyone else up in the communal area for some we-saved-the-world-again celebration.

Darcy was just winding down, thanking everyone for coming out and turning to head back inside when she heard a  _very_  familiar noise. She’d been around Tony-as-Iron-Man to know the distinctive sound of his repulsors. Instead of going back inside the glass-fronted tower, she turned to look up at the sky.

Tony was lowered himself to the ground, his facemask sliding back. Hazel eyes focused on her, so intently it was like no one else was around.

She went to him, of course, and he held his arms out to her. Hugging in the suit wasn’t exactly comfortable, but she pressed herself against him anyway.

“I love you too,” he said, loud enough that everyone heard. There was… a lot of noise. Neither really noticed, though, instead his arms tightened around her and he lifted up off the ground, holding her close against him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 19) things you said when we were the happiest we ever were
> 
> Continued in an actual (smutty) fic [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3839104).


	152. Darcy/Tony 6

Darcy moved out, of course, to a neat little apartment about a block and a half away from work. She couldn’t leave entirely, though, she still had to pay bills- actually she  _now_  had to pay bills, which meant walking the block and a half to her job every morning.

She hadn’t said anything to him after he’d told her that maybe they should stop, well, everything- just grabbed enough stuff to last the night before heading out to a hotel. The following week had found her an apartment, got the rest of her shit packed up while he was lost in his shop, and seen her completely move out of the tower. 

And, of course, she still saw him. Like, every day. The tower was big enough that it obviously wasn’t a coincidence, he was purposely putting himself where he knew she’d see him. His gaze would follow her, hazel eyes filled with hurt. Like  _he_ had any right to be hurt. 

She knew why he’d done it, even before Bruce had said something. They were getting closer, and then that last attack had scared him. He didn’t want her to get hurt just because they were close, so he hurt her to keep her from getting hurt. Because  _that_  made sense.

But she still hadn’t spoken to him.

Darcy walked through the lobby of the Avengers Tower and hit the button for an elevator. When the doors slid open, she and the other people waiting stepped inside, and the elevator started to rise.

A couple of floors up, the doors opened to let some of her fellow employees off, and Tony slipped on. 

She did her level best to ignore him, but the elevator rose and rose, slowly emptying out until they were the only ones left heading into the DNA-restricted levels. Maybe it was time to ask Pepper to let her move her office.

“How are you?” Tony asked, and she just let her eyes slide over to him before turning back to face the elevator doors. “C’mon, Darcy, you have to talk to me.”

“Actually, I don’t. Steve is the leader of your team, I only have to talk to him.”

Suddenly, the elevator gave a massive lurch before coming to a complete stop. The lights flickered once, twice, and then went out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 22) things you said after it was over  
> I MADE IT ALL BETTER! Fic reaches a smutty conclusion [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3929470).


	153. Darcy/Tony 7

Darcy pushed into her apartment, letting out a long, tired sigh. It had been… a long day. She had a cold, and she felt just… All she wanted to do was reheat last night’s Chinese food, and collapse on her bed with her shoes off and watch some mindless TV.

She got ready, got her shoes and bra off, reheated her food and headed into her bedroom, plate in one hand and bottle of raspberry cooler in the other.

What she saw, however, stopped her in her doorway. “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?” To be fair, she wasn’t 100% sure on the nudity.

He was lounged back against her pillows, hands clasped behind his head, and her yellow-and-pink blanket only covered up to his waist, showing that he was at least  _half-_ naked. Not that she wasn’t enjoying the show…

“I hate sleeping with clothes on.” Tony gave her a look like it should have been completely obvious.

“Okay, but you’re not sleeping, and why are you in  _my_  bed?”

He gestured her closer, and she moved over to the edge of the bed and sat down by his blanket-covered hip. “Waiting for you.” Like that should  _also_  have been completely obvious. Sitting up, he picked up the chopsticks off the plate and ate a piece of pork.

“Help yourself,” she told him, giving him a look.

He picked up another piece of pork and this time he held it out to her, keeping it near her face until she opened her mouth and ate it.

After swallowing, she gave him another look. “Aren’t you afraid of catching this?” He’d been avoiding her for the past few days, obviously he’d been trying to make it look like he hadn’t been, but he totally had been.

“You’re probably not contagious anymore.” He paused for a moment, considering. “And I might have been being an ass.”

“Might have been?”

“Hey, I’m making it up to you. I got a romantic dinner, I’m warming up your bed for you…” He shifted over to the other side, patting the spot he’d just vacated.

She stared at him for a second. Her brain felt a little foggy, but it was still working. “Um, I just heated this up. In my microwave.”

“Yes, but I put it there before I got in bed. That’s from today, that’s not last night’s.” He held his hands out for the plate and bottle. “Give me those, get in. Get comfortable.”

She couldn’t help but smile as she shed her own clothes and slid into the place he’d just vacated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rhiannon-a-christy:  
> 6) “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”


	154. Darcy/Tony 8

So it was cold. Like, the high-velocity moving air kind of cold. And, like, more than just when Darcy got in from outside when it was stupid humid in summer and she plastered herself against the central air vents.

Also, she was lying down. Kinda. Put the two together, she’d done this often enough to know what was going on. Opening her arms to look into the facemask of the Iron Man suit, she asked, “Why… Why are we flying?” 

“You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.” His voice was that careful-gentle tone he picked up when he was  _beyond_  upset and he was trying to play it off with humor.

“Oh.” Her voice was small, and she looked down at his shiny red chest.

“Until you’re feeling better, I don’t want you going up on the roof anymore,” he continued, worry clear in his tone. “Did you talk to Bruce yet?”

She’d been feeling a little off for a little while now- sleepy, low blood-pressure, low-grade fever. “So, about that…” She licked her lips as he landed on the landing pad right outside their apartment.

He set her gently on his feet, and then the suit opened up in the back and he stepped out. There was a strain on his face, apparently her passing out on the roof of the tower-  _holy fuck_. She swayed into him, burying her face against shoulder. Yeah… She hadn’t been close enough to the edge to fall off, but… No more roof for the next…

“I’m pregnant.” Her words were muffled against the fabric of the athletic shirt he liked to wear under the suit, but he stilled against her, there was no way he hadn’t heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobutsiriuslywhat:  
> 38) “You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”


	155. Darcy/Tony 9

“Tony!” Darcy almost threw the styrofoam container of food she was carrying at him. “Get away from there!” She’d stepped out for, like, two minutes because a girl’s gotta eat, and he’d somehow swooped in and was poking at Jane’s latest holographic thingy. Jane didn’t mind if Tony poked at her research-  _if she was there_.

“Come over here and make me,” he replied absently, not taking his eyes off of the holographic thingy.

Darcy gave him a look, not that he could see it with the back of his head pointed in her direction. Well, that sounded like a challenge. And she sure as shit wasn’t backing down from a challenge.

After putting her food gently down, she pulled her shirt up over her head, tossing it onto the office chair in front of the computer she’d adopted as  _hers_. A quick adjustment to the girls, and she marched on over there, slipping around in front of him.

He was sitting on the wheeled stool Jane used, which put him eyes-to-boobs. He blinked for a second, then looked up into her face.

“Hi.” She gave him a sweet smile. “Leave Jane’s stuff alone when she’s not here.”

His eyes dropped down to the cleavage, displayed pretty well in one of her favorite bras, all blue and flowery. “This doesn’t count as Jane’s, does it?”

“Nope. Those are all mine.” Her head fell back, eyes closed, as his mouth dropped down onto the displayed flesh.

By the time Jane came back, they were significantly less-clothed, and both facing a pretty substantial lecture. That Darcy couldn’t stop grinning through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hollyspacey:  
> 1) “Come over here and make me.”


	156. Darcy/Tony 10

“You, uh, you maybe want to clean all that off? I could have sworn there was a table here when I left this morning.” Darcy felt a kiss at the side of her neck before Tony stepped into view, arms folded and one eyebrow raised.

She took a look across the paper-strewn table. “Um… Maybe?” She made a face. She was working on something for Bruce because she was awesome and he was getting those dark shadows under his eyes again. “Depends on what I get out of it.” It  _could_  be moved, of course. There was an awful lot of floor space in their apartment. It was just that the table was more convenient, and she didn’t have to spend hours on her knees, all bent over with her boobs in the way…

“I’m cooking, and I’d like to sit down with you to eat.” There was just the faintest hint of a challenge in his tone, and Darcy grinned.

She loved it when Tony cooked. It wasn’t something he did very often, but he as good at it as he was at everything else. “That sounds awesome. I will sort out a location, and you get that sexy ass over and start cooking.”

“So, no on the table?” His lips lifted at the corners like they always did when he teased her.

“I told you, I’ll sort it out. What’s the…” She tilted her head over, looking up at him. “How much time do I have?”

“About… Fifty minutes.” He turned to move into the kitchen, giving his ass a little shake that made her grin.

“Definitely not enough time for the table. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

Fifty minutes later, they were sitting out on the balcony on a blanket, looking out over the city below. It was all glassed in for safety, but Darcy felt like she could see the entire city.

She looked up from her plate, focusing on the man sitting easily opposite her, pouring them each a glass of wine. “So what’s the occasion?” It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to  _please_  not be buttering her up for something. It was one of the things he did that she hated the most. But she suppressed the urge.

“Rhodey and Pepper got engaged.”

Her mouth split into a wide grin. “That’s fantastic! I will have to call Pepper tomorrow.” She paused, lifting her glass to take a drink of the chilled wine. “I don’t understand what that has to do with me, though.”

“Dunno, just… Made me think that you’re  _here_  and…” He shrugged, gaze ducking away from hers because he  _still_  struggled with verbalizing his feelings. She could see it, though, in the way his hazel eyes darted back to hers and softened with a smile. “You like it when I cook.”

“I love it when you cook.” She lifted her glass, and he chimed his gently against it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> 13) things you said at the kitchen table


	157. Darcy/Tony 11

Darcy’s prize possession was her crock pot. It had been with her all through college, through New Mexico, through London. It had credit for keeping her- and Jane- mostly fed while the latter had immersed herself in science. Toss a bunch of things in there in the morning, and like magic, actual real food was ready to go at dinner time. It was perfect.

So when she came out of the bedroom and into the kitchen to find it dismantled across the kitchen counter, she could only stare in disbelief, tears stinging her eyes. It was stupid, but her crock pot was the single most dependable thing in her life- even fucking SHIELD hadn’t stolen her crock pot- and now it was dead.

“Honey, darling, babycakes, I realize how bad this looks…” The perpetrator of the crime had been missed in her first look into the kitchen because she’d been so focused on her poor crock pot. But now her gaze swung over to him, eyes wide and filled with moisture. “Oh, shit, are you crying? Are you… Fuck.”

Darcy turned away from him, headed back down the hall towards the bedroom. Because fuck today. Fuck it right in the ear. She was going back to bed, and maybe by the time she got up again, her absolute favorite inanimate object wouldn’t be lying in pieces all over the kitchen.

She heard him trip over something as he scrambled to follow, and the muffled curse that came closely after. He caught up with her easily, though, hands closing over her upper arms and pulling her to a stop.

“It was sparking,” Tony told her, a note of pleading in his voice. “I wanted to fix it for you before it exploded.” He rubbed up and down over her bare arms. “I was supposed to have it done by the time you woke up, but then I thought I could make it a little more efficient while I was in there, and I lost track of time.” He paused, hands moving up over her shoulders and pushing the thin straps of her camisole aside as his fingers dug into her suddenly-tight muscles.

“It’s the only thing I have left,” Darcy whispered, purposely keeping her voice down so she would start wailing at him. It was stupid, that she was losing her shit over a crock pot, but it was hers, dammit, and it was the only thing that had survived (mostly) intact through all the shit she’d been through.

“Oh, baby, no. I’ll fix it. We’ll go back in there, and you can sit down with a cup of coffee, and I’ll put it all back together right now. It’ll be fixed before you’re even done.” The note of pleading had grown a little stronger. He was sounded almost desperate for her to let him fix it.

He turned her gently towards him, pulling her against his chest. She stayed stiff, unyielding for just a second before relaxing against him. Tony let out a relieved sigh as he held her tightly. It would be okay. He’d put it back together, and it would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a [Tumblr](http://pinkpandoracornwrites.tumblr.com/) prompt:  
> nobutsiriuslywhat:  
> Darcy/Tony: "Honey, darling, babycakes, I realize how bad this looks..."  
> She's not crying over the crock pot, she's crying over what it represents. But he'll fix it! He'll totally fix it!


	158. Darcy/Tony 12

Darcy rested her elbow on the table and stared across at where her best friend was currently getting very blushy. It was awesome. Jane was  _adorable_  when she got all interested in a guy, and tonight was definitely no exception.

Except.

Darcy looked over to her left, at the man wearing a  _very_  amused smirk on his face. “What do you think the chances are that I’m going to be sleeping in the hall tonight?” she murmured to him.

Because Jane was supposed to be  _her_  roommate for this sciency thing that Tony and Jane had dragged her to as their mutual assistant/wrangler, but then Bruce had unexpectedly turned up from wherever he’d been hiding out.

“Do you think housekeeping would think I was homeless? Because that…” She pointed between the two of them. “That looks serious. Have they really never met before?” Darcy had met Bruce a long time ago. There was communal lab space and everything. He’d been gone for a while, sure, but that had to be _after_  Jane moved into the tower, right?

Maybe not.

Tony took a drink of his water before setting the glass carefully on the table. They had all pretty much finished eating, although Jane and Bruce were _supposed_  be be deciding on dessert. They… weren’t. “It’s fine. You can stay in my room.” He glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow before turning back to watch what was basically a live documentary on the mating habits of the great American scientist.

Her elbow came off the table, and she fully turned to look at him. “I know you only have one bed in that room of yours.”

“And it’s more comfortable than the floor in the hall, I’m sure.” He picked his napkin up off of his thigh and dropped it on his empty plate. “Let’s go get some coffee, I’m pretty sure it’s just going to be the two of us for the rest of the trip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:   
> techbeck: Tony/Darcy and any song from the Lion King soundtrack
> 
> OUR TRIO'S DOWN TO TWO.


	159. Darcy/Tony 13

“We can’t.” Darcy rested her hands on her hips for emphasis, giving the man standing in front of her a hard stare. He was far enough away that she wasn’t craning her neck up at him, but even without that he didn’t seem intimidated. “No one else is here.”

“We absolutely can.  _Because_  no one else is here.” Tony was just as firm in his point of view as she was. More, actually, because he actually sounded firm, and she was just saying it because she was pretending to be responsible. Or whatever. “We should.” He looked around the room before taking a step or two towards her. “No one needs to know.”

“Someone will find out. Someone  _always_  finds out.”

Another step towards her. “Why, are you going to tell anyone?”

“No, but, like…” She licked her lips before continuing. He was coming into head-tilting range, her neck bending back so she could keep looking up at him. “Nat has a scary sense about this. She  _always_  knows. Maybe it’s the smell.”

“The smell does linger.” Another step, and then another one until he was _right_  in front of, close enough that a deep breath would have them making actual physical contact. “But you want to.”

Darcy was nodding. She did want to. She always wanted to. And she knew for a fact that no one else was due back for a while. “Fine. Turn on the fucking oven.”

There was a flash of triumph in his eyes as he went over and put the oven on before starting to pull down the baking equipment that was too high up for Darcy to reach easily.

A few tweaks from the science genius over there had turned Darcy’s favorite brownie recipe from good to  _orgasmic_. And because the tower was full of home-baked-goods-loving-superheroes, she hardly ever got any of it, even when she made it. But they loved it  _so much_ , she always felt guilty making it when they weren’t there.

With just her and Tony, they could split a batch. Just the two of them.

“You’re a bad influence,” she observed as she pulled the powdered sugar out of the cupboard.

“Maybe. But you love me for it.” He dropped a kiss on the side of her neck as he passed, headed for the liquor cabinet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hollyspacey:  
> “No one needs to know.”


	160. Darcy/Tony 14

“Why is your giant penis-tower so close to Central Park?” Darcy was congested as  _fuck_. It was the annual tree-mating season, and she felt just absolutely miserable. Her nose had basically been leaking all day, her eyes had been streaming, and there wasn’t enough fucking Claritin in the world. She leaned her elbows on the desk, resting her chin heavily against on hand. Fuck. Everything.

“Our ventilation system is excellent,” Tony replied with a raised eyebrow, coming across his lab to the table she was huddled at.

“Right, but  _some_  of us have to go outside. Fuck outside.” There was a mug of hot coffee at her elbow, and she was going to have some, just as soon as she could convince herself to lift her head and drink it. “And some of us don’t get interns. Why, exactly, does your PR diva not deserve an intern?” She gave him a hard look, probably slightly ruined by the fact that her eyes were all red and swollen. “You know, I could do this job remotely. Move back to Puente Antigua…” Not that she actually  _would_ …

He was silent for a second, tapping his lip thoughtfully as he looked down at her. “Talk to Pepper. Just… tomorrow.”

“Uh huh.” Her arms collapsed on the table and she pillowed her head on them, closing her eyes. Not that she was actually going to sleep, but she didn’t have to hold her head up anymore.

“Do you… well… I mean… I could give you a massage?” Without waiting for her to answer, Tony’s hands were on her shoulders, fingers digging into the tight muscles.

That she fixed her posture for. Tony was  _great_  with his hands, and that included killer shoulder-rubs. “Come home with me so we can cuddle on the couch while I’m all pathetic.”

“Do you want me to order you some soup, too?” He sounded just a little guilty. They’d talked about the intern thing before, but now, apparently, he was seeing the sense in it.

“Mmhmm. Just… not yet.”

She heard his snicker, but he didn’t stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wispymagic:  
> “Do you…well…I mean…I could give you a massage?”


	161. Darcy/Tony 15

Darcy jumped as a pair of hands cupped around the lenses to her glasses, letting out a startled little squeak. She’d been so wrapped up in her reading that she hadn’t even heard him sneak up on him. She knew that smell, cedar mixed with the faintest hint of machine oil. “Tony! You scared me!”

“I know. Couldn’t help it. You make the cutest noises when I do- if anything, this is your fault.” She could  hear the amusement in his voice.

“Yeah, I’ll be less adorable when I wake up tomorrow morning.“ She sighed. “What do you need?”

“You, of course.” Tony’s hands shifted a little as he shrugged, pushing her glasses against her nose. “I was thinking your legs, maybe, wrapped around my head.”

Midday sex wasn’t exactly uncommon, considering she worked just a few floors down from him. And Tony was good in bed- really good- she never walked away frustrated. But random offers of cunnilingus usually meant… “What did you do?”

“Okay. I think it’s a positive thing.” His hands fell away from her eyes, and she immediately took the glasses off, fogging them up with her breath and using the hem off her skirt to clean off his fingerprints. “It’s definitely going to herald major scientific advances, just as soon as I can verify some data and replicate-”

“Tony?” Darcy turned her office chair to face him and looked up at him with her best, ‘I see through your bullshit,’ look. Pepper had taught her that look. 

He offered her his hand, and she took it, letting him help her to her feet. He _kept_  her hand as they walked out of his office and towards the elevator. To her surprise, instead of going to his lab, they bypassed that floor entirely, headed up to the level their apartment was on. He didn’t say anything, but he was practically vibrating with that nervous energy he sometimes had.

The elevator opened up, and he led her down the hall to the already-open door to their bedroom. Steve’s kitten, who she was pet-sitting for a few days while he was off doing super secret Captain America stuff was curled up in the middle of their bed, sleeping.

Only it was about the size of a golden retriever.

Darcy’s eyebrows went up as she pressed her lips together between her teeth. She looked between the gigantic kitten and the man beside her. “To be honest, I’ve seen bigger. You know, in the zoo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sarastark:  
> Darcy Lewis/Tony Stark “To be honest, I’ve seen bigger.”


	162. Darcy/Tony 16

Darcy stared at the magazine cover for a second in complete disbelief. There on the glossy front cover was a picture of her all pressed up against Tony-in-the-suit, her arms up around his neck as he leaned over to kiss her. You could practically  _see_  tongue in the picture.  _Mystery Brunette Snogs Billionaire Superhero_.

She tossed it back down on the workbench she’d grabbed it from, arms coming up to settle on her hips. “What the fuck? They’re calling me your girlfriend.” She’d been pretty  _positive_  that there had been no one around to see, or she wouldn’t have, um, made out with Tony quite like that. But apparently…

Tony glanced up from his 3D hologram, one eyebrow raised, and shrugged. “Well, aren’t you?” The question was casual, but she could hear the thread of seriousness in it.

“So not the point. I thought we agreed that we were going to keep our…” What word was appropriate, exactly? “ _Us_ private until this whole ‘paying money for dead Avengers’ thing died down.”

“Hmm. On the plus side, now I can take you out and try to impress you.” His arms folded across his chest, stiff across the shoulders.

“Fine.” Her eyes narrowed. “But I’m blaming you if I get kidnapped.  _Again_.”

“To be fair, the last time was more Clint’s fault than mine…” He shrugged, then let out a long sigh, getting to his feet. “Darcy, if this is too much for you…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “It’s always going to be something.”

“I know.” Darcy crossed to him, pulling his arms away from his chest to rest her forehead against it. “I’m just… I’ve never been on a magazine before. This is weird. Like, really, really weird. I’m betting that the internet has already figured out who I am.”

His arms came around her. He didn’t deny it, he knew it was probably true. “I’ll take you out. Fondle you in public. Make a scene before some little shitbag gets any ideas about threatening to dox you.”

She lifted her head, resting her palms against the front of his shoulders. “I’m with you, but maybe not the public fondling thing.”

“I am open for negotiation.” A smirk turned up the corner of his mouth. “I am a generous man.”

She shook her head, reaching up behind his neck, tugging until he leaned down to kiss her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:   
> Darcy/Tony, “I’m blaming you if I get kidnapped. Again.”


	163. Darcy/Tony 17

Darcy was sitting on Tony’s extra-swivelly office chair, elbows on the desk in front of her, chin cradled on her hands, twisting to swing her feet back and forth. She’d never  _seen_  him doing it, but she suspected that he just sat on his chair to spin around sometimes. He basically had to with a chair that swiveled this smoothly.

“Now what do you see?” came the question from  _under_  the desk. She’d been co-opted to help Tony repair his display thing, because he couldn’t fuck around with the guts of it and see if it was working at the same time.

“A reproduction of the Statue of Liberty. Huh…” She looked over the bisected green lady standing on top of the desk. “Is this to scale? I’ve never been.”

“You’ve never been to the Statue of Liberty?” His voice was muffled from under the desk.

“Uh, no. I haven’t seen a lot of the city.  _Someone_  keeps borrowing me on my time off. Someone.” She moved her leg over until she gave some part of him a nudge with her ankle. Probably his hip.

“Okay…” There was some I’m-fucking-with-wires noises. “How about now?”

Darcy’s eyebrows rose as she took in the scene before her. Fully 3D, scaled down of course. “That is… Well, you have a nice ass.” She was watching it flex inches from her face. Her eyes flicked over to the blond woman on her back with the kind of breast-elasticity she could only dream of. “The girl on top of the pool table is faking it, though.”

There was a pause, and she felt his warm hand land on her ankle. “What do you mean she’s faking it?”

“She’s not invested. Her mouth looks like it’s making the right noises-” and thank  _fuck_  there was no sound “-but her eyes look like she’s doing a mental inventory of the inside of her purse.”

“I’ll have you know that… Mindy? Mandy?” There was a pause. “She was having a really good time.”

“Okay, buddy.” The disbelief in her voice had to carry through the desk. “Maybe she was just too worried about her sick grandmother to focus on the task at… pelvis.”

There was another pause, and then thankfully the image changed. Because Tony was hot, and watching him fuck someone- even someone who looked like she might not be having the time of her life- was  _distracting_. “Uh… Am I supposed to be seeing…” What  _was_  she supposed to be seeing?

“You just saw three monkeys go by on a motorcycle, didn’t you?” The confidence in his tone suggested that’s what she was  _supposed_  to be seeing.

“Yes?” Although  _why_  she was supposed to be seeing that…

“Good girl.” She heard what sounded like a cover sliding back into place, and then gentle hands on her knees pushed her back far enough that Tony could emerge enough from under the desk to look at her. From between her legs. And  _that_  was causing problems. “Now. There are two things I think we need to discuss.”

She swallowed. Professional. She could do professional. Even though Tony’s hands had slid up over her knees, and were  _very_  warm through her pinstripe brown slacks. “What’s that?”

“First of all, I’m taking you to the Statue of Liberty. We’ll fly, skip traffic.” He was smiling a little, eyes focused on her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. She’d seen that look before, but she’d never been the recipient.

“Uh huh.” She was  _killing_  professional, just as long as he couldn’t see the way her pulse was racing in her neck. “And what’s the second thing?”

“Well…” His thumb was stroking over the inside of her thigh, and it was more than a little distracting. “I need to repair the damage to my character.” And that _shouldn’t_  have sounded like an invitation, but his voice had dropped down low and seemed to caress along her skin much the same way his thumb was. “The only question is, which would you like to do first?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> redhead4eyes:  
> Tony X Darcy, “You just saw three monkeys go by on a motorcycle, did’t you?” “Yes.” “Good Girl.”
> 
> When JARVIS was all, "It's nice to see a video of you with your clothes on?"


	164. Darcy/Tony 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes at the beginning? YES. This drabble is preeeeeeeeeetty dark. Trigger warnings for addiction, suicide, questionable consent.

The first little while after the world had ended had gone fairly well. Tony and Darcy had been trapped in an elevator together, and by the time he’d managed to get it open, there were entire chunks missing from the tower. His lab was mostly untouched, though, and structurally sound enough to hole up there. They’d made it livable, brought in a bed and some food storage. Tony had easily rigged up electricity for them, and it was almost like the entire city wasn’t a smoking ruin just on the other side of the thick walls.

Then he’d lost his hand, sheared it off trying to move through the tower to salvage more supplies. Things sort of… went downhill from there. Darcy had managed to cauterize it, and the deathly gray color of his face combined with the  _smell_  of burning flesh was something that was going to stay with her for the rest of her life.

His anxiety started eating at him a lot more. Panic attacks became a frequent occurrence. And as time went on and no one else came back to the tower, well… It just got worse.

There was an astonishing quantity of liquor in his lab, and Tony seemed intent on finishing it all before he died of alcohol poisoning.

Darcy was fucking with the comms unit, trying to raise someone.  _Anyone_. Bruce had to be out there somewhere, the man was literally unkillable. He’d tried. And Darcy… Darcy couldn’t keep doing this by herself.

Tony was lying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. He was shirtless, the hand-less arm held up in front of him as he clutched the bottle of scotch in the other. His eyes were glassy and unfocused as he waved the arm in front of his face. He’d started making a prosthetic for himself, but it had sat, abandoned for a week or so now. It looked about three-quarters done.

“Darcy… Beautiful Darcy…” He motioned her over.

Sighing, she got up from where she was kneeling on the floor, making her way over to the side of the couch. “I really need you to get your shit together,” came out practically a whisper as she looked down at him. She was tired, so tired.

He set the bottle down on the floor, grabbing for it when it started to tip over. Even this drunk, his reflexes were sharp enough to right it before even a tablespoon had spilled. “Darcy, so soft and warm. I need my Darcy.”

They’d started an intimate relationship  _after_  everything had gone down. It seemed natural to turn to each other for comfort. But now…

She swallowed, sitting down as he shifted over to press himself against the back of the couch, making room for her. He pulled her back until she was wedged down beside him, half-underneath him. His lips moved wet and sloppy over the side of her neck, his hand dropping down to push under her skirt, fingers fumbling at the apex of her legs.

It wasn’t enough. He settled himself between her legs, and she could feel the burn as he pushed his cock inside her mostly-unlubricated vagina. Luckily her body caught on soon enough to ease the rough, jerky passage of his shaft in and out of her body. Her eyes closed, hot tears spilling down over the sides of her face as he mouthed at her neck.

It didn’t take long. The spurt of his semen almost seemed to scald her before he pulled out, focusing on her face for the first time. He frowned, eyes tracking the trails of moisture along her skin. “Darcy… Baby, don’t cry.” His head dropped to her breasts, nuzzling there, arms around her. “Don’t cry.”

Darcy pushed her fingers through the thick, dark hair that was in desperate need of a wash. Before too long, his breathing slowed, evened out. She felt… Numb. At least he’d had a vasectomy years ago, this wasn’t any place for a baby. He was heavy, but there was something comforting about the solid weight of his body. It meant she wasn’t alone. She could pretend that everything was okay, that they’d been out for a date before coming home and having the best sex of her life.

“I had the lobster,” she whispered, fresh tears blurring her vision as she stared at the ceiling without seeing it.

Tony muttered something, his arms tightening around her.

Time stretched on into nothing. The windows were all covered, she couldn’t tell how long they laid there before a noise pulled her attention towards the door of the lab.

Bruce. Bruce was walking towards them. He looked dusty, tired, but he was  _okay_. She watched him take them in, Tony with his pants still down around his thighs, hand having fallen even in his sleep to clutch the bottle of scotch, Darcy with her tear-swollen eyes. Heartbreak seemed to war with anger on his face. “Oh, Darcy…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ilikefictionalcharacters:  
> Darcy/Tony The a Team- Ed Sheeran “I really need you to get your shit together.”


	165. Darcy/Tony 19

There were already rumors, of course. Someone in London had heard something, not that Tony had exactly been  _subtle_  about the whole thing, and it was all over the fucking internet. Along with a shitty cellphone picture of her with her head against his shoulder from when they’d been walking into the hotel. His arm was around her and her hair was covering her face, all fucking windblown from their little flight through London.

Pepper and Tony’s publicist- he had an actual publicist- had suggested that he should take her out, make it official. She was his soulmate, they were happy together, all of that.

Which was why Tony was wearing an immaculately-tailored suit, one hand on his pocket, the other holding a glass of scotch as he leaned back against the bar. He was watching her, one eyebrow raised.

“Well?” Darcy made a face as she did a little spin in her flats. Because fuck heels.

He set his glass down on the bar as she turned back to face him. “This…” He waved his hand in front of his face. “Doesn’t match the rest of it.”

She sighed, moving towards him to rest her forehead against his shoulder as his hand slipped into the small of her back. “I know. I just… Can’t we just stay home and I’ll blow you?”

His hand slid down the smooth fabric of her dress to rest directly against her ass. “Well, I’m not ruling it out. Not the staying home, the blow job. We can’t stay home.” He stepped back just a little, and the hand that wasn’t on her ass came and tilted her chin up so that she was looking into his brown eyes. His expression was serious as he looked down at her, and he leaned forward to brush a kiss against her lips. “Hey. Relax. I’m a great date.” One corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk.

She couldn’t help her smile, he had that effect on her a lot. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“I don’t know why. You faced dark elves, giant metal robots of doom, hordes of Hydra agents literally breaking your door down. Literally.” His eyes flicked back and forth between her own. “Just ignore them and let me do all the talking.” Because there was going to be members of the press taking pictures and trying to get soundbites.

Her hands came up to rest against his chest. “Oh, yeah, because  _that’s_  a good idea.”

“If it gets to be too much, just give me the word and I’ll let you find a quiet closet to drag me into so you can blow me.” Tony shrugged. “I’m a generous, generous man.”

“Oh, you’re something.”

He leaned down and gave her another soft kiss, lingering for a few seconds this time before pulling away again. “I promise you, you’ll hardly even notice they’re there. Okay?

Darcy nodded, and he leaned down to give her one final kiss. “Let’s get this over with,” she said with a sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Tony/Darcy queen good old fashioned lover boy  
> Sometime after Without You.


	166. Darcy/Tony 20

Darcy stared across the room at Tony, who was standing there with his hands on his hips and a somewhat amused expression on his face. “You want me to do what?”

He sort of shrugged one shoulder, one eyebrow quirking up. “Well, you don’t _have_  to, it just might be kind of nice.”

She stared at him for a second, eyes narrowing in thought, her arms crossed in front of her. “Whose idea was it?”

“Mine.” He gave another one-shouldered shrug, his hands dropping to his sides. “I figured if there was one person on the planet who would know, it would be you.”

Well, that was true. Darcy collected random bits of trivia, and Jane’s ring size happened to be one of those pieces of knowledge. “Jane’s not exactly… When she gets deep in the science she sort of runs on autopilot. Like, he could ask _her_ , and she’d answer automatically and probably forget he’d even asked.”

“Probably, though.” He looked at her evenly for a moment. “It’s an odd enough question that it might stick out in her mind later.”

“I guess. I mean… Obviously I will.” Because Jane would cry buckets of happy tears, and Darcy was down for whatever would make Jane cry buckets of happy tears. “I’ll text him later. Just… Someone’s probably going to say something about it, and if this is supposed to be a surprise…” Jane poked her head up everyone once in a while to go on social media benders, and there was no chance she’d be able to miss something like that.

Tony nodded. His hands dropped to his sides as he moved across the room to her, his bare feet silent against the thick carpet.  “I know. But… I’ve already taken care of that.”

“You know a guy.” She shook her head, a smile moving across her face. “Of course you know a guy. Whatever. Yeah, I’ll text him and tell him I’ll go.” There was only about a step or two between them now, and she closed the distance, resting her hands on the front of his bare chest as she looked up at him. “I have to admit, when you mentioned ring shopping, I thought you were going somewhere very different.”

His hands slid into the small of her back, fingers catching in the long t-shirt she was just about two minutes away from stripping out of for bed. She slept naked, they both did, but she liked wearing things when they were winding down for the night but still  _up_. Just not, you know, pants.

“J already has your ring size.” It was such a throwaway comment that it didn’t even register at first. When she leaned back a little to look up at him, he shrugged again, not quite meeting her eyes. “You like shiny things. I’m… thorough.”

“Uh huh.” Shaking her head again, Darcy grinned and nuzzled her nose against the scar tissue in the middle of his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Darcy/tony "you want me to do what?"


	167. Darcy/Tony 21

Darcy pulled the SUV up into the parking lot and turned off the engine. A glance over showed that Tony was lying motionless in the seat, his sunglasses over his eyes. He’d snored a little bit on the interstate, mumbled a little bit about birds on the offramp, but now he appeared to be quiet.

She got out of the car and eased the door shut, pulling out her phone to fire off a quick text. Pepper would probably want to know what was going on, and she could let Steve know or whatever.

The person at the front desk didn’t even bat an eye at her as she got them a room for the night, and when she went back out to the SUV with their keycards, Tony hadn’t moved. She got back into the vehicle and moved it around to the parking lot at the side of the building where their room was.

This time when she got out, she went around to his side and opened the door. “Tony,” she said softly, laying her hand against his shoulder.

He awoke with a start, pulling up the sunglasses and looking at her. “What’s going on?” He squinted at her a little in the sudden light from the open door.

She motioned with her head in the general direction of the door behind her. “We’ve stopped at a motel for the night. I’m falling asleep at the wheel and you can’t drive, so we’ll catch a sleep, maybe a shower, and we’ll get back tomorrow.”

“A motel? Really?” He seemed to focus in on her eyes. “You know you’re on the list of approved signers for my credit cards, right?” 

She hadn’t actually known that, no. “But that would involve walking across a lobby, walking down a hall, walking, walking, and more walking. And while acting as a human crutch is a  _super_  good time for me, you’re heavy, and I’m not doing it. Not to mention all of the autographs and all that shit. No thanks.” Darcy shook her head. “Come on, Man of Iron.”

She moved back to give him room to swing his legs out of the car and sort of slide to his feet. “You know he hasn’t called me that in  _years_ , right?” He grunted a little as his left foot contacted the concrete, and she was right there to help steady him.

“Yeah, I know.” She stayed where she was until he’d rested his arm across her shoulders. This would have been easier if they were a little closer in height, but she wasn’t really about to complain.

Kicking the door closed with her foot, she helped Tony over to the door and opened it with one of the two keycards she’d been given. The lightswitch was immediately on the left when they went in, and she hit the light as he let the door close behind them.

There was one bed. Couple nightstands, a TV, a counter with a sink along the far wall. A table, a couple chairs.

One. Bed.

Darcy eyed it and sighed. “I guess they misunderstood me.”

Tony straight snickered at her. “It’s only one night, right? We can share.”

“I dunno.” She glanced up at him before stepping forward and letting his hand fall away. “Can you keep your hands to yourself?”

“Well, I have been waiting  _weeks_  to get you all alone so I could finally make a move on you. Too bad it took spraining my ankle in the middle of Michigan to get it done.”

She stared at him for a second, not quite sure if he was joking or not. Because he had to be, right? But, like… He sure didn’t look like it. “I’m gonna go get my shit from the car.” Because that really seemed like the safest move at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hollyspacey:  
> Tony/Darcy, 62 :)
> 
> Because of MCU inconsistencies, I generally use comics canon height for the characters. (Like Terrence Howards is 6'+ and Don Cheadle is... Not.) This puts Tony at 6'1.


	168. Darcy/Tony 22

Darcy got out of the car with a sigh and brushed down the front of her skirt. Happy was holding the door for her, and he shut it as soon as she took a couple of steps away from it. She’d inherited him when he and Pepper had started seeing each other and had decided it was probably a conflict of interest for him to keep being her personal security. So now Darcy had her own personal security (read: bodyguard), and that was still just a little surreal.

But it was handy. Because the arrival of the car had started drawing some attention, and the media was already starting to move towards her for her statement. Happy stepped between her and the press, keeping between them as she started making her way away from the vehicle and towards a nearby building. Happy preferred it when she had something solid behind her, it meant less area for him to keep an eye on.

She looked away from her path for a second to gauge the nearness of the oncoming press of bodies and the tip of one of her red flats against a rock or piece of debris or something, and down she went. Happy was quick, he grabbed her elbow and kept her from falling flat on her face, but her knee impacted rather painfully with the ground.

He pulled her to her feet and she kept moving, his hand securely on her elbow. Her knee hurt a whole lot, but she’d be able to look at it when they got where they were going.

They reached the side of the building, and Darcy leaned back against it to look down at her leg. They still had a second or two until the press got there.

She didn’t get there, though. Tony zoomed up in the suit and landed beside her, the mask sliding back to reveal a concerned expression. He stepped towards her, sliding one hand between her and the wall behind her to rest in the small of her back. “You’re bleeding, what happened?” That wasn’t  _quite_  an accusation, and his eyes flicked up to Happy.

Darcy shook her head. “No, it’s my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going, and I tripped.”

“J says you’ll make it. You’ll need to get that cleaned out, though.” He looked about two seconds away from pulling her up into his arms and flying away with her, despite the fact that she’d told him she hated traveling like that. He flew so quickly that the wind moving over her was really cold and it always made her hands  _ache_.

“I’m fine.” She gestured to the crowd that had reached them, microphones already being stretched into her face, questions already being yelled to her.

He bent down, the suit made him just about the same height as Thor, until his lips were brushing against her ear. To be fair, it was the only way that she’d be able to hear him over the clamor of voices. “When you’re done I’m getting you out of here.”

She turned to look at him as he pulled back. “It’s a little dirt, it’s not going to kill me.” The suit would make it so that he’d be able to hear her over the crowd, but they had fallen strangely… quiet.

And then exploded with noise again. This was cacophony, it was crazy. It was hard to pick out any one question or thread of thought, but she could pick out enough words to get the general gist. They didn’t _care_  about the DoomBot that had just torn apart half of Queens anymore. No, they wanted to know about her and Tony, and how long they had been together, and if she was just with him for his money, and increasingly misogynistic suggestions.

The face plate slid back in place. Tony’s voice, amplified to be heard, said, “I’m getting her out of here, I’ll see you back at the Tower.” To Happy, obviously. His hand slid to her hip, pulling her close and holding her tightly against him. Slightly begrudgingly Darcy reached up to clasp her hands behind his neck. The whine of the repulsors had them airborne and assumedly speeding towards home.

Thankfully it didn’t take long. Her hands were aching with cold by the time he touched down on the landing pad. Both of his arms were in the small of her back to steady her as she pulled her hands down, working her shoulders to get some blood flow back into them. “I guess everyone knows.” More resigned statement of accusation. And now she was going to have to give an official press conference down in front of the building…

The face plate slid back again. “No. Nobody knows anything, they were just making assumptions.” His eyes flicked back and forth between hers. “I’m a very tactile person.”

She tilted her head to the side, eyebrows raising as she looked up at him. “That’s going to be all over YouTube within half an hour.”

“Yeah, okay, everyone knows.” His arms fell away from her, and Darcy moved back enough that he could step out of the front of the suit. “JARVIS, take it down to the lab, we’ll meet you down there.”

“Yes, sir.” The suit rose up off the landing pad and turned to fly down to the maintenance entry to Tony’s lab.

Tony stepped into her, his arm going around her waist to steady her. “Let’s get that cleaned out before it gets infected.”

She turned to look up at him, allowing him to guide her towards the doors in the side of the building. “You’re not going to insist I need to see Helen about it?” She was only half-teasing. Tony tended to be a little overprotective of his loved ones, especially those who didn’t have superpowers.

“And miss out on an opportunity to be between your legs?” His eyebrow arched.

She sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. “What are we going to do? You heard them, I don’t want to deal with that every time I have to make an official press statement.” Because they wouldn’t forget it.

He sighed. “I’ll talk to Nancy about it.” Nancy was his publicist.

The heavy doors slid open for them, and they stepped into the elevator. Darcy turned towards him, resting her cheek against his chest, her arms sliding around her waist. She’d known it was inevitable, that it was just a matter of time before they found out that she and Tony were seeing each other. “Any way I can interest you in holing up in my grandparents’ cabin for a week?”

“That… actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” He rested his cheek gently against the top of her head. She knew it wouldn’t happen, though, Tony wouldn’t be able to leave work for that long.

“Okay.” She closed her eyes and sighed, nuzzling against him. But it was nice to think about for a second or two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> I Know Places by Taylor Swift, either Darcy/Steve or Darcy/Tony
> 
> Obviously Darcy/Tony


	169. Darcy/Tony 23

It wasn’t luck that had Bruce showing up on their doorstep. It was more Darcy going, “Wow, that guy looks awfully familiar, but he looks gentle and lost and also naked, so maybe he should come inside.” So she’d invited Bruce in, got him hooked up with some clothes, he and Jane had spoken their immortal words to each other, and now they were moving into Tony Stark’s gigantic penis-tower in the middle of Manhattan.

Except certain scientists kept getting caught up in other scientists- whether they were actually doing science or each other was anyone’s guess, and Darcy wasn’t in a hurry to find out- and so  _she_  was overseeing the moving of all of Jane’s shit into her new labspace.

This wasn’t the first lab-moving she’d overseen. Hopefully, though, hopefully the last. At least this time she didn’t have to participate in the actual  _moving_ herself, just the unpacking and setting everything up.

Which she seemed to mostly have a handle on. Except…  _Her_  laptop was missing. Hers. All of Jane’s shit was accounted for, mostly set up in the configuration she wanted, but Darcy’s laptop was strangely absent. Sighing, she rested her hands on her hips and let her eyes move over the various desks and surfaces in the wide room. “I’m going to kill Jane!” she announced to the air.

“Care to develop your thoughts?” The new voice made her whirl around, eyes wide. First of all, someone else had sneaked up behind her and that just wasn’t cool! Secondly, those words in that precise order had been something she’d learned at a very early age because they ran up the side of her rib cage.

And thirdly… That appeared to be the owner of said penis-tower she was currently setting up Jane’s new lab in. She looked at him for a long moment. “What, like film?”

“Are you even old enough to know what film is?” he asked, arms settling across his chest as he gave her a rather lingering once over.

“I’d answer you, but you probably wouldn’t hear me on account of the age-related hearing loss.” She folded her own arms, eyes raising and lips pursing as she looked back at him.

He grinned, eyes crinkling at the corners. He had a nice smile. His arms fell to his side and he walked over to her, offering her his hand. “Tony Stark, although from the faintly accusatory look on your face, I’m guessing you already knew that.”

Darcy put her hand in his. Firm handshake, but he wasn’t trying to break her fingers. “Darcy Lewis.”

“Huh. Okay. Well, it’s good to finally have a face to put to the words. Inconvenient placing, by the way.” He arched an eyebrow, like she had anything to do with it.

“Oh, right. Like sideboob words are any better than whatever you could possibly have going on under there.” She gestured one hand in a circle that was meant to encompass his entire body. He had a long-sleeved t-shirt rolled up to show admittedly  _very_  nice forearms, but that and his face were really the only skin that was showing. Not a hint of a soulmark anywhere.

“I’ll show you, but we should probably go somewhere a little more private first.” His hand came out to settle against her hip, apparently Tony Stark was a toucher.

She made a face. “Okay, how many times have you said  _that_  before?”

His eyes narrowed a little like he was actually thinking about the answer. “That’s a really good question. However, I am prepared to make this the very last. Well, make you the last person anyway, I’m  _sure_  I’ll have constantly have things to show you in private.”

“Aren’t you, uh, jumping the gun a little bit there?” His arm had slid around her back and now he was drawing her gently through the lab towards the exit. Not that Darcy really minded, this wasn’t some unbreakable hold he had on her, she could have moved away at any time. “We could be platonic.” And probably were. She really didn’t have romantic relationships. Or romantic feelings at all, really.

“I can absolutely guarantee we are. However, I am a bit of a hedonist, and you were  _just_  looking at me like you really wanted to see exactly where your words are, so…” His fingers pressed into her hip a little.

Darcy grinned. “No promises.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My contribution to the FYDarcyLewis chain-fic challenge!


	170. Darcy/Tony 24

 “Jesus fucking Christ, if we do this again, _you're_ going to be the one carrying our spawn.” Darcy was not exactly in a good mood as she waddled her way across Tony's lab and impatiently shooed him out of his chair. He looked just about ready to protest, but Darcy fixed him with the same look she'd worn when she'd realized that they were out of Cinnamon Toast Crunch that morning and he swallowed whatever he'd been about to say and stood up.

“You know, I'm not sure that's entirely possible.” He rested his hands on his hips as he looked down at her. His tone was definitely _gentle_ , like he wasn't entirely sure if she was kidding or not, and he still remembered the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Incident.

“You're the genius, you fucking figure it out.” She wasn't entirely sure she was kidding either. Because she was approximately 15 months pregnant, she hadn't been able to sleep in _weeks_ , and everything fucking _hurt_. Well, okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. But her due date was a week and a half ago. Her doctor was blithely unconcerned, and had cared significantly less than Tony when she'd received the same look.

He stared at her for a second in silence, and while she probably imagined the glint of fear she saw in his eyes she it amused her immensely. “Oh, that's right. I wanted to show you something. You wait there...”

Darcy leaned back in the chair, wincing as her spine shifted around, and rested her folded hands on top of her protruding belly. “Good, because if you asked me to get up again I was going to seriously reconsider leaving you a piece of cake.”

He looked at her for another second, and she could _see_ him decide not to ask. “I took that list you gave me...” Tony disappeared somewhere behind her, and it really wasn't the effort to try and turn the chair around to see him. Because her doctor had helpfully informed her that _walking_ was a good way to bring on labor, and this was the last stop in her horribly, horribly uncomfortable journey around the tower.

“Here.” Something came back into her line of sight, preceding Tony. It was Dum-E. Well, no, Dum-E was over there doing something with a pair of pliers. But it looked a lot like Dum-E.

Darcy's eyebrows went up as she looked at it. “You rebuilt U?”

“Not quite.” He had his hands on his hips again and was standing off to the left looking at his robot with a mixture of pride and smugness. “This is Nan-E. He is programmed for pacifier-retrieving and bottle-holding duties, which I realize probably isn't going to do much good right away. But he's also been fitted with a intuitive intercom that will let us know specifically what our Cabbage Patch Kid is going to need so that we're more prepared when we go in there.”

“I wish this was a Cabbage Patch situation,” Darcy muttered, staring down at the globe that took up the space where her stomach had once been.

“So... What do you think?”

She looked back and forth between Tony and the robot. Tony looked just so enthusiastic, and so hopeful... He'd done this for her. He'd witnessed her multiple late-night anxieties that the baby wasn't going to come with a manual and while she was used to taking care of scientists, scientists could at least do things like speak and take care of their own basic functions.

Hot tears welled up behind her eyes, and a look of sheer panic came across Tony's face. “You hate it. That's okay, I'll-”

“No, I love him.” Darcy held up her arms for Tony. He stared at her for a second like he was trying to solve a particularly complex problem, then started inching towards her. She made grabby hands at him, and he finally came close enough that she could wrap her arms around him and pull him down for a slightly awkward hug. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” She was pretty sure she wasn't imagining the relief in his voice.

“I'll even save a piece of cake for you.” There was a tropical-themed cake sitting in their refrigerator upstairs, and she totally save him a piece. After all, he'd made her a robot.

She heard him take in a sharp breath like he was going so say something, but then let it out slowly, remaining silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony/Darcy, based off a picture prompt on the Tumblrs.


	171. Darcy/Wanda

“Wow,” Darcy breathed, looking out over the incredible view of the ocean afforded by the second-floor balcony of Tony’s Malibu residence. “I think I’ve seen something like this. You know…” She turned back to where her girlfriend was hanging back by the sliding doors that led back inside. “Once upon a dream.”

Wanda gave her a small smile. She knew Wanda wasn’t exactly a fan of heights, but Darcy had wanted to see the view, and she was being supportive.

Darcy moved back across the painted concrete balcony to step right into Wanda’s line of sight. The other woman was a few inches taller, but at least most of the view would be obstructed. “We can go inside if you want,” she offered, eyes moving over Wanda’s face.

“It’s okay,” Wanda said, her smile growing just a little. “You should see your face, you are so…” She gestured towards Darcy’s relaxed expression. “So happy.”

“Well…” Darcy leaned in and gave Wanda a quick kiss, finding her hands to twine their fingers together. “I want you to be happy.” She’d arranged this little getaway for them after she’d noticed that Wanda was getting increasingly stressed out at the Avengers’ base. She’d figured that some time away, just the two of them, would probably help, so she’d called Pepper and set it up. Pepper had offered at some point, 

“I am happy. You’re here with me, how could I be anything else?”

The kiss turned into two, and Darcy reluctantly pulled away before things got any more heated. But that was probably something better done inside, away from the drop over the side of the balcony and the height it displayed. “You wanna go explore the rest of the house?”

“Is there a pool?” There was a very knowing look on Wanda’s face.

Darcy’s lips curved upwards. “Yup. Definitely. And a hot tub. I didn’t bring my bathing suit, though, I hope that’s okay…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Wanda/Darcy "once upon a dream"


	172. Darcy/Warpath

He was impossible to miss, even in the crowded bar. Something about being a foot taller than even tall people tended to make him stick out. Likewise, even though there was a definite undercurrent of tension- a fight was  _already_  on its way to starting- everyone was leaving him alone. James had perfected Resting Bitch Face. Of course, with a name like Warpath…

Sighing, Darcy made her way through the roiling sea of people, sliding into the chair opposite him. His dark eyes fixed on her as she took her seat, he looked… discontent. His Pepsi was practically untouched in front of him.

“Did X send you to beg me to come back?” he asked, although there was no malice in his voice.

“Nope. You got…” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the medal, resting it in the middle of the table, just beside his nearly-full glass. “This. I volunteered to bring it here. Bravery, blah blah blah.” She knew he didn’t give a shit about it, but it had been an excuse to see him.

The noise was really picking up behind her, Darcy was more-than-familiar with the sound of fists hitting faces. James’ eyes raised up over her head, and he sighed. “We should get you out of here before you get stepped on.

The crack about her height made her grin a bit wistfully, and she pushed the chair back and stood. The noise of the chair legs moving across the slightly sticky floor were lost in the commotion, it was really picking up. Cops would probably be called soon.

James was on his feet as well, one hand on her waist pulling her against his size. It was entirely possible that she would have gotten lost in the fray on her own, but no one wanted to fuck with James, and he easily cut his way through there, heading for the door.

It was dark and cool outside, and she felt a pang of disappointment as his hand slipped away from her. It wasn’t long before they heard the sirens piercing through the night, and they kept going on foot, away from the bar.

“I miss you,” she said at last, looking over at him. He was staring resolutely into the dark night, and after a second she faced forward again so she wouldn’t run into anything.

“I’m surprised you even noticed I was gone.” His voice was stiff, full of pain. “Just one star among many.”

Darcy made a face. “That’s not fair. You weren’t just a star to me, you were my whole damn sky.” She sighed, glancing up at him again. “Just… text me or something.” He’d left the medal in the bar. She stopped walking, and he kept going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyokaooohshiny:   
> darcy/warpath (james proudstar), bangarang-skrillex, brawl, “you weren’t just a star to me, you where my whole damn sky”, military medal.


	173. Daredevil/Deadpool

The last client of the day was a strange man, that was for sure. Deadly, graceful, but strange. And Matt had definitely had his fair share of strange. If he could even be called a client. He’d come into the office, paid up front for an appointment with cash, spent about a minute and a half staring at Matt and muttering to himself- things that only half-made sense- before leaving. Through the window.

There wasn’t time to dwell on it, though- night had finally fallen and Matt needed to pay a man a visit.

He moved through the room to the closet- five steps along the wall from the doorway- and opened the door.

His fingers closed over… That wasn’t right. Instead of the flexible padding of his body armor, he felt cloth. “Shit.”

“Unknown,” his phone said, alerting him to a call. Matt answered the call and held the device to his ear.

“Hey, so I didn’t really think this through. You had to go and be all short, and now I’ve got things riding up into places that they should have bought me dinner for, first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trooperschaf:  
> 23) things you said [make your own]: things you said after grabbing the wrong red suit. And the characters I choose are Daredevil and Deadpool


	174. Jane/Bruce

Bruce pulled his glasses off his face and dropped them inelegantly on the table in front of them, reaching up to scrub both hands across his eyes. When he surfaced from behind his hands, he looked… tired. So tired.

Jane could understand the sentiment. “I’m surprised Tony hasn’t been on you to test his lasers on your eyes.”

Bruce gave her a kind of humorless smile. “Who says he hasn’t?”

She laughed at that, leaning back until she was tipping her chair back on its back legs. That didn’t really surprise her. “You calling it for the day?”

He gave a long sigh, looking down at the collection of papers in front of him for a second before tidying them into a neat pile. “I think so.” His eyes raised to her, watching her for a long moment. “Do you want to get dinner?”

Jane glanced at the clock in the lower corner of her laptop and sighed. “You mean breakfast?” The time wasn’t a problem, the diner across the street from the Avengers tower was open 24 hours, most of its patrons were SI employees who kept odd hours.

He frowned, rubbing a hand over his forehead in a futile attempt to ease the tired lines there. “Is it really that late?”

“Yes.” She let out her own sigh. “And don’t think we’re not going to hear about it, either.”

“If he’s too busy for actual productivity…” Bruce sounded so long-suffering as he got to his feet, giving his pile one last nudge. “Breakfast, Dr. Foster?”

Jane smiled up at him, righting her chair and pushing it back to stand up as well. “Thank you, Dr. Banner, that would be lovely.”

They didn’t seem to get much further than that. His hand came up to her back, sort of pulling her closer to him, and she ended up resting her head against his shoulder. It felt ridiculously comfortable, like she could fall asleep there, maybe if she wasn’t on her feet.

Her head tilted back to look up at him, and she found he was looking down at her. Maybe it was because she was so loopy and tired, but she couldn’t come up with a single reason not to bring the mutual flirting they’d been doing for the past little while come to its natural conclusion.

He seemed to feel the same way, his face was coming closer, those brown eyes locked on her mouth. She licked her lips, shifting back a little so the angle would be better and-

A loud squeak interrupted them. Jane sighed. Bruce groaned and dropped his forehead to rest against hers. “Do you think Darcy would notice if we turned him into a welcome mat?”

Jane grinned, the tip of her tongue caught between her teeth. She leaned back until she was peering around behind Bruce’s back. Sure enough, Darcy’s cat Mew-Mew, who seemed to have adopted the neutral workspace between the three labs on the floor as his home, was playing some sort of pouncing game with the catnip-stuffed squeaky mouse someone had got him. “She probably would.”

Bruce stepped away from her and offered her his elbow. “To breakfast, then?”

Jane nodded. Breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> Jane/Bruce squeaky


	175. Jane/Bruce 2

 Jane tapped the Official Pen of Scientific Poking against the edge of her laptop as she stared at her screen. She'd read the same five lines of the article in front of her three times now, and she still hadn't absorbed any of the information. She was trying to at least get some work done, even though she was nowhere near any of her equipment.

At least she'd be able to see the stars. She pushed back the chair and stood, grabbing the sweater that she'd slung over the back of it. Steve had explained the security system to her, she had a good amount of distance all around the cabin before she was in danger of setting something off.

She glanced back to the bedroom, but didn't hear anything. She didn't want to disturb him, he was always just so _exhausted_ whenever he changed? Transformed?

She moved across the room as quietly as she could before letting herself out into the cool night. It was perfect. There was just a hint of a breeze stirring the water about a stone's throw from the cabin. The moon hung low and full, the sky lit up with thousands of glittering stars. She had to smile as she moved out, away from the house, head tilted back to see.

“I missed you,” she murmured to the sky as she pulled her sweater closed around herself. It was cold enough that she probably should have grabbed her coat, but she... hadn't. And now that she was outside, she didn't want to go back in.

There was Cassiopeia, and Orion was over there... The familiar shapes she'd been picking out since childhood seemed to soothe her troubled mind, and she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling some of the tension leaving her body.

She heard the door, almost silent as it caught in the door frame. “I miss this in the city,” she told him.

His feet rustled over the dry grass as he moved out towards her. “It's nice out here. Quiet. That's why I built it here.”

She looked down at him, eyebrow raising in surprise. He looked tired, he always looked tired. “You built this place?” He'd thought to wear a coat at least, that was good.

“Yeah, although I could've picked better furniture.” She could hear the trace of familiar self-deprecating wryness in his voice. His eyes moved over her. “Were you here when I was... the other guy?”

“Yeah.” The answering flinch came almost immediately. “All you wanted to do was make sure I was safe, and then sleep.”

“I wish you didn't see that.” There was a note of pain in his voice, but a terrible finality too, like he was worried about something.

“Why?” She moved over to him, tilting her head slightly to the side as she looked up into his face. He didn't have an answer for her, just looked at her with those tired, tired eyes. She reached up and rested her hand against his shoulder, rising up on her tiptoes to press her lips against his cheek. “I know you'd never let anything happen to me, Bruce. Isn't that why you're here?”

Because there'd been a threat on her life. Pepper had taken it very seriously. The Avengers were just coming back from a mission, and it had been decided that the best idea would be to get her somewhere safe. Bruce was with her so that he could adjust to being human again, and all of the other suggestive things Darcy had indicated with her eyebrows.

He nodded, his hand coming out to rest in the small of her back. “Yeah, I got a text from Pepper about what was going on. She said she'd let us know when everything was clear.”

Hopefully it wouldn't be too long, although Jane was trying to look at this as a spontaneous vacation. “Why don't we get inside?” she suggested, wrapping her arms around his elbow. “Darcy said something about hot chocolate in one of the grocery bags.” Her words were punctuated by a sudden shiver, and Bruce frowned at her.

“Why didn't you get your coat?” he asked as they headed back towards the cabin. “There'll probably be frost tonight.”

“I don't like to disturb you when you're sleeping. You have a tough enough time sleeping without me in there making a lot of noise.”

“Trust me, I never mind.” He reached over and rested his hand against hers right up until they reached the front door and he had to pull it open.

He built up the fire while she made hot chocolate and microwaved some sort of frozen Thai dinners she found in the freezer. They ate together on the uncomfortable sofa, then Bruce went and pulled the afghan off the bed and they cuddled together in front of the snapping fire.

“Takes a lot more than the other guy to scare me off, you know.” Jane was reclined between Bruce's legs, her head back against his chest. His palm was against the back of her hand, fingers entwined in hers as it rested against her stomach.

There was a hesitation before he answered, “I just don't want to hurt you.” There was that insecurity that made her want to hold him close every single time she heard it.

“That's the last thing on your mind when you're the other guy, Bruce. I trust you.” She shifted down a little around the lump that was currently pressing up against her coccyx. It didn't really help. She shifted again, squirming around on the sofa until she found a pseudo-comfortable position.

“I'm sorry, this couch is really the worst.”

Jane grinned, lifting their hands up to press her lips against the backs of his knuckles. “It's fine.”

“It's not.”

“No.” She shook her head. “It's really not. We could go cuddle together in bed.”

Another pause. They'd just started actually sharing the same bedspace at night, and Bruce was still a little bit worried about it. “Okay,” he agreed at last, dropping his leg to the floor to let her up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lucid-dreamer-dreams:  
> Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran; Jane/Bruce


	176. Jane/Bucky

“What are you reading?”

The voice broke into Jane’s reverie, and she started, eyes tearing up away from her book to the man standing in front of her with an open, friendly expression on his face. James, of course, she was finding him in her lab more and more often these days. And she didn’t mind. James was nice, he didn’t pester her or anything like that. Quiet, too, when she was working.

She could already feel her cheeks heating up a little, but she tipped the book back anyway to show him the cover. “It’s just the most ridiculous trash, but it lets me shut off my brain for a couple of hours.” Which… Lately she was starting to crave a little more. Things were getting a bit tense, with the Nobel candidacy, and hardly having a week where she wasn’t jetting off to somewhere else for  _another_  lecture.

“Any good?” He asked, turning to the side to sit on her battered couch beside her.

“Not really. It’s the usual…” She let out a long sigh. “They meet, contrivance forces them together, she starts falling for him, she gets pushed away from him for some reason, and he’s just about to go and win the fair maiden back.” She shrugged, rolling her eyes. They were formulaic, but the predictability was part of what let her just lose herself in them for a while.

“That sounds like every romance novel I’ve ever read.” James was sitting on the cushion beside her, facing her, one foot tucked under the other knee with his arm along the back of the couch. He had a habit of making himself comfortable wherever he was, which was a skill Jane envied.

“You read these things? You don’t look like the type to enjoy romance novels. I mean…” Jane shook her head, looking away from him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that. Just, you don’t fit the target demographic.”

“No. Sam got me into them, actually, for the same reason you do. Gives me something simple to focus on so my brain can…” He lifted his hand and tapped a couple of times at his temple. “And they make me laugh.”

Jane grinned in response, nodding. “Yeah. They get pretty ridiculous.”

“You mind if I read over your shoulder?” There was a casualness to the question, like it would be okay if she said no.

“Sure. I… I read pretty fast, though.”

“That’s fine.” He shifted towards her on the couch, arm still up along the back of it. She was nestled in against his side, and his attention turned down to the book in her lap.

Jane smiled a little as she picked it up and resumed reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Jane/Bucky "you don't look like the type to enjoy romance novels."
> 
> Okay. So this is the same 'verse as When Subtlety's Not Your Thing, set before that fic. Here he is all giving out signals...


	177. Jane/Bucky 2

“Where are we going?” Jane asked, just a little bit impatient. She’d been good, though, it was only the third time she’d asked in the last two hours. There was a blindfold pulled down over her eyes as she was sitting in the passenger seat of the “borrowed” quinjet.

“You’re see.” The same amused answer it had been the last two times she asked.

She sighed, shifting a little in her seat. “You couldn’t even let me read or anything?”

“This is a vacation. If I take that off, you’ll start doin’ work.” The amusement in James’ voice increased, she could practically see the smile lighting up his face. He was teasing her, but he wasn’t wrong, either. It always happened, she’d start out trying to do something frivolous with her time, but then she’d end up doing work anyway.

“You’re going to have to keep me pretty occupied if you’re determined that I’m not going to do any work this weekend,” she told him, shifting again.

There was a slight pause. “Trust me, baby-doll, you’re not even gonna be able to think straight.”

Jane could feel the heat spreading through her cheeks. How was he still able to make her blush? After everything… “You know I’m working right now.” It was true, she was running through theories and data in her head. “At least if the blindfold was off, I could do productive work.”

“That would ruin the surprise part of this surprise vacation. We’re almost there.”

Sure enough, it wasn’t that much longer before the quinjet started moving down, the change in pressure her only indication. There was a bit of a jolt as it touched down, and then the slow whine as it powered down.

“Can I-”

“Not yet.” She could hear James getting up, the shift of his clothes against the seat. His hand closed over one of hers, the other one undoing her harness before drawing her to her feet.

He led her through the quinjet, and she grabbed for him on the first faltering step down the ramp. “Watch your step.” She could hear the apology in the laughter in his voice.

“Thanks.” Her steps were small, her hands clinging to his arm as he guided her down the ramp. They were… Outside, or so the first crunch of her sneaker over gravel told her. He kept leading her forward for another dozen or so paces, and then he stopped. James gently shook her hands off his arm, and in just a second she felt him undoing the knot at the back of the blindfold

“Oh,” Jane breathed softly as the dark fabric slid away. There were up high, on a mountain or the side of a hill somewhere, and all around her she could see nothing but stars. The three-quarter moon was sitting high in the sky. “James…”

He was wearing a wide smile. “Usually I like to be between your legs when I hear that, but I’ll take it.”

She turned, winding her arms up around his neck, tugging him down until their lips met. This… This was amazing. This meant more than she’d ever be able to say. She could show him, though…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Jane/Bucky- Blue Eyes Blind by ZZ Ward


	178. Jane/Bucky 3

Jane sat at her desk, trying desperately to concentrate on the screen. “James…”

It didn’t help. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail that morning, and James was taking full advantage of the back of her neck being bared. His lips were making a hot path against the nape of her neck, his hand warm against her shoulder.

“James!” His teeth caught just over her spine, sending a shiver through her. “I’m trying to work here.” He sort of chuckled against her skin. “I swear to god, you’re worse than Steve!”

Finally James lifted his distracting mouth away from her. “You want me to call him? I’m pretty sure he’ll take my side on this.”

It was easier to think, though. “Just 10 more minutes, and I swear I will give you my undivided attention.”

“That’s what you said 20 minutes ago, and I’m just about positive I have your undivided attention right now.” His lips brushed against the side of her neck where it met her shoulder. “That thing’s been blinkin’ in the exact same spot since I came over here.”

Jane squinted a little at her laptop screen. No, he was right. Since he’d knelt down behind her office chair, she’d gotten exactly nothing done. “James, we’re in the middle of the lab, someone could see.”

“Baby-doll, I’m pretty sure everyone knows we’re doin’ this.” He paused, nipping at the side of her neck. “Well maybe not this, exactly. Steve’s comin’ in about seven minutes to take us out to dinner, and I wanted you all to myself for a minute.”

She sighed, again eyeing the blinking cursor that seemed somehow to be mocking her. With her toes against the floor, she swiveled the chair around to face James slowly enough that he could move back before she whacked him with one of the armrests.

He was smiling at her, eyes crinkled at the corner as he knelt on the floor. She reached out to rest her hands against his shoulders, looking down at him. “What am I going to do with you?”

His gloved hand reached up, fingers threading through her hair as it slid around the base of her skull. “I can think of a few things, might even have time for one or two.” He pulled her down towards him for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobutsiriuslywhat:  
> Jane/Bucky: "I swear to god, you're worse than Steve."
> 
> Okay, it kiiiiiiinda got poly, but Steve's not actually there.


	179. Jane/Bucky 4

He pulled open the glass door to Jane’s lab, bag of food an effortless weight in his hand. Jane was there, of course she was. She was sitting at her desk, hunched over her notebook. He could see the tension in her shoulders, even from across the room.

He crossed to her, depositing the bag of food in front of her, taking care to avoid her notebook. She was stuck, he gathered, but she’d worked hard to get as far as she had, and he wasn’t going to interfere with that by getting grease stains on her paper.

She looked up at him, warm brown eyes seeming to call to his very soul. He extended the chopsticks she preferred to eat Chinese food with to her, and she took them with a gentle smile. “Thank you. You didn’t have to get me dinner.”

There was a slightly guilty, slightly challenging look on her face. He knew that look, it was the same look Steve used to give him. “No. But you haven’t eaten yet, have you?” He knew the answer to the question before he’d asked it. She had a habit of getting so engrossed in her work that everything else fell away. He still wasn’t entirely sure  _what_ , specifically, she was doing. He knew some of the details, there was a window of opportunity that she’d just missed- hopefully the food would help distract from that.

He moved over to get the chair Darcy usually used, adjusting it higher. She hated when he did that, but she was prepared to forgive him, since he fed her scientist. He knew Jane better than that. Jane wouldn’t neglect herself to the point of harm, but if he could make her life a little easier, then it… It helped him feel better about himself.

“What time is it?” she asked between bites of food.

He glanced down at his watch. “Ten. Thirty.” Her eyes flashed with panic and she started to push her food away, but he rested his heavy hand beside it, stopping her. That exasperated look, he knew that one, too. He couldn’t help but smile to see it. She was a little spitfire.

“James…” Her tone was full of warning, like she’d fight him if she thought she could get away with it.

He loved the way she said his name.  _Bucky_ didn’t feel like his anymore, and he was still adjusting to something hardly anyone had called him. But from her, it sounded right. He’d be James, if that’s what she called him. “Yes?”

Her temper flashed through her eyes. “I need to-”

“Eat. You need to eat.” He looked at her evenly. He knew she wouldn’t take a swing at him, Jane wasn’t that type of girl. And you could get common sense through to her, if you were just more stubborn than she was.

And she wanted you to let her.

She sighed, picking up her chopsticks and digging into her food again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY! I did a meme on Tumblr a while ago (last fucking month, apparently, where is the time going) to do an existing scene from an alternate POV. So this is Bucky's POV of part of When Subtlety's Not Your Thing


	180. Jane/Bucky 5

There was some sort of official meet and greet happening, Fury had decided that it would be a good bonding exercise or something like that, so there was a gigantic barbecue out on the lawn, with a slip‘n’slide, a bouncy house, and one of those gigantic foam-type obstacle courses. Jane wasn’t too sure about the rest of it, but she was willing to give the barbecue a try. Apparently Cameron cooked a good hamburger. They were about to find out.

Fury was introducing her around everywhere. She’d met Helen, her co-head of the SHIELD science division a couple of days ago, but everyone else was new. Except… That guy looked a little familiar.

“Steve Rogers, James Barnes,” Fury was saying as they walked over to  _that_  guy who was standing with a man who could only be Captain America. She stared at him for a second, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. He was looking at her intently, and after a second a smirk spread across his face.

It was the eyes that did it, the way they crinkled at the corners when he smirked. “James! Of course! I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on.”

Fury turned to give her a look, and Captain America’s eyebrow arched sharply. James was laughing, and she realized what she’d just said. “Um, can we pretend I didn’t just say that?”

“Oh, I think I want to hear this.” The red-haired woman, Natasha? She materialized seemingly out of nowhere, and her smirk was a lot like James’.

Fury excused himself and walked away, and Jane could feel her cheeks getting warmer under the scrutiny of three pairs of blue eyes.

“No, just… You know how Darcy brings in strays,” Jane protested, looking between them all. Darcy had lived at the tower for a while, she knew all these people already.

Natasha nodded. “She’s as bad as Clint. I’m pretty sure they’re gonna turn that farm of his into some sort of animal rescue.”

“Yeah. One day she brought home a…” Jane gestured to James. “He and Thor aren’t really the same size, so we didn’t have a lot for him to wear.”

“Loose clothes chafe across my chest,” he added, but there was a sparkle in his eyes that was impossible to miss.

“You always did like brunettes.” Captain America clapped his hand between James’ shoulders with enough force that the smaller man stumbled forward a little bit. He offered his elbow to Natasha, who took it, and the two of them moved away.

“It’s good to see you again, Jane,” James said, and his voice was like honey, thick and sweet. That smile, too, she remembered that smile. It had always made her apartment feel a couple degrees warmer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobutsiriuslywhat:  
> Bucky/Jane: “Can we pretend I didn’t just say that?”


	181. Jane/Bucky 6

Jane moved around the side of the table, Official Pen of Scientific Poking held ready. She bent over the table and squinted at the thing. Technically this wasn’t really her area of expertise, but there wasn’t really much she could do to hurt it.

“One of the first things I learned when I got here was that they don’t like people touching their stuff.”

Jane jumped a little bit, startled. She turned to look over at the dark-haired British-accented guy who was lounging in the doorway with his arms folded. "I’m sciencing. This is my science pen.” She held the ballpoint pen up in front of her. She was going to have to talk to Darcy about using science as a verb again- she’d done it so much that Jane was starting to pick it up.

He gave her an easy smile, and just for a second he reminded her so much of James that she had to smile back. He was nothing like James, of course. James was taller, broader, longer hair, and the most expressive blue eyes she’d ever seen. She missed him.

Shaking herself away from her wandering thoughts and the cleft in James’ chin, she turned back to the alien artifact. This  _wasn’t_  Asgardian, but she hadn’t had personal experience with any other variety of aliens. Not yet, at least. Maybe if this thing was here, that was going to change.

 The Official Pen came out to move it, not poke at it, to try and get a better angle on it. “It is really dark in here for a lab,” she muttered, squinting down at the thing.

“I can see I’m going to have to distract you. I live in fear of angry scientists.” From the sound of his voice he was coming closer, and in just a second she could see him out of her periphery. “Come have a drink with me, love.”

“No thanks,” came out automatically. Then she actually took a moment to think about it before straightening up, eyes narrowing a little as she looked at him. “Are you flirting with me?”

His arms were folded across his chest again. Objectively it wasn’t a bad view, but he was no James. James with his shoulders and thighs…

The British guy- what was his name again? Harold?- was giving her a very charming smile. “How about it?”

“No. Thank you. Flattered but not interested.” That was a line she’d been using on colleagues for longer than she cared to think about. Before she could register a reaction, though, her phone rang. She fished it out of her pocket, unable to hide her grin when she saw who was calling. She accepted the call and held the phone to her ear. “Hey!” Turning away from the British guy gave her the illusion of privacy.

“Hey.” James really did have a pleasant voice. “Good news. Stark’s coming to consult on some alien thing, and I’m his pilot.”

That was good news. It felt like forever since she’d seen him. Between his busy avenging schedule and her busy sciencing-  _dammit, Darcy!_ \- schedule, they didn’t get to see each other as often as either of them liked. “When?”

“Tomorrow. So get a good night’s sleep tonight…”

There was no mistaking the heat in his words, and Jane could feel a matching heat rising in her cheeks. “James!”

“Lookin’ forward to a whole lot of that.” There was a short pause. “I miss you.”

She let out a long sigh. “I miss you too.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow though. Sorry, I just had a second and wanted to give you the good news. I love you.”

Her smile was big enough that she pushed at the phone where it was resting against her cheek. “I love you too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye.” He ended the call.

Jane put her phone back into her pocket and turned back around. Harold or whatever his name was was gone, but there came Jemma and Leo, moving through into the lab space that was really darker than it should have been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> iamartemisday and nurselaney:  
> Bucky/Jane- "Are you flirting with me?"


	182. Jane/Bucky 7

Jane stood in front of the coffee pot, staring absently at it while her mind tried to wake up. It was… Tuesday. No, Wednesday. She really just wanted to go back to bed. But Wednesday meant that there was that teleconference later, and she wanted some time to wake up and make sure everything was in order.

The pair of hands settling on her shoulders, one warm and one slightly not, startled her a bit. She jumped and squeaked, and she heard James’ amused huff as he stepped into her, pulling her back a little until her back was against his chest. “What are you doin’ out of bed?”

“Conference later. I need to-” An earsplitting yarn cut her off, and she let her head drop back against his chest, her eyes closing. “Mm. Wake up.” She gestured in the general direction of the coffee pot. “Coffee’s brewing.”

“I would have put it on if I’d known you were going to be up already.” He actually sounded like he felt a little bit bad about it. He was still working on his extreme guilt when he felt like he let someone down.

Jane reached behind her to rub her hand over the side of his hip. “I know. It’s not a big deal, I know how to make coffee.”

He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, holding her close against him, and she wrapped her arms over his. The metal was cool under her fingers, and she trailed her fingertips along his skin until she could lace her fingers in his. “I wish we could just go back to bed.”

There was a bit of a pause. “We can. I could help you wake up.” He shifted behind her, his t-shirt snagging a little against the fabric of the tank top she slept in, and then she felt his warm mouth against the bare skin on her shoulder.

“James…” She was torn. On the one hand, sex was great at waking her up, and that seemed like a really good idea. On the other hand, she didn’t really want to be late for her teleconference, and James liked to take his time. Normally that was a good thing, but it didn’t really make for worktime quickies.

His mouth was moving, sliding in until he reached the side of her neck. “I bet I could make you scream my name. That would wake you up.”

She let out a sigh, her head tilting to the side to give him more room. “But you’d make me late.”

“I don’t have to. I just like how you blush…” His lips grazed over the outer curve of her ear. “All over. You make me want to stay there all day.”

She turned in his arms, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck. “I have an hour.”

“I can work with that.” His arms tightened around her waist and he straightened, lifting her up off the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Jane and Bucky - 94  
> 94\. “I bet I can make you scream my name.”


	183. Jane/Bucky 8

“Darcy.” Jane grabbed her friend’s forearm, giving her her best beseeching look. “You can’t leave.”

Darcy’s eyebrows arched. “Why, have you decided to sign on with SHIELD or hear back about your paper yet?” Jane didn’t answer, and Darcy shrugged. “Then I have to. Sorry, buddy, but we need more than grant money. You’ll make it.” Darcy patted her hand before shaking free and grabbing her scarf to leave their small two-bedroom apartment.

Jane sighed, sitting down heavily on the arm of the couch. She folded her arms, staring hard at that threadbare patch in the carpet. Darcy was right, of course, living in New York was expensive, and her grant money was barely cutting it. Maybe it was time to entertain taking a faculty position at Culver again, they were taking forever to get back to her.

There was a noise in the kitchen. She stood up, unfolding her arms, and walked in to see James standing at the sink. Bubbles were mounding up in front of him as water streamed from the faucet, and he was making a neat stack out of their breakfast dishes. He was the reason she didn’t want Darcy to leave. Not because she was  _afraid_  of him, metal arm notwithstanding she was pretty sure James would rather go swimming in the East River, in winter, than hurt her or Darcy. No, her reason for not wanting Darcy to leave them alone had more to do with how her hormones reacted to the idea of being alone with him.

She still wasn’t entirely sure how James ended up in their apartment. She had come home one day and he was there, picking over Chinese food with Darcy. And he hadn’t really left. He got along well with the cat that had turned up under similar circumstances.

He turned to look at her, and something about his face relaxed. He didn’t smile, not quite, but his expression looked lighter somehow.

“You don’t have to do that,” she told him, moving through the kitchen to pick up the dishtowel from where it was slung over the handle of the over door.

“I dunno, you guys are just lettin’ me stay here. Seems the least I can do.” They had a similar conversation every day, and she moved over to stand by the sink beside him, towel in her hands.

Jane could practically  _feel_  him standing next to her, the heat from his arm where it was  _not quite_ brushing against hers. This was ridiculous, she mentally chided herself. Just absolutely ridiculous. Her hormones didn’t control her.

“Are you going out today?”

He shook his head. “Nah. ‘stoo cold, it hurts where the arm is attached.” He’d been really self conscious about it when he’d first started staying with them, but had relaxed quite a bit. It didn’t bother Darcy, and it sure didn’t bother Jane.

“You should see if Darcy will knit you a sweater. She made one for me, and it’s so warm it’s like being hugged all day long.”

“She’s makin’ me one. Blue, she said it’ll make my eyes look amazing.”

His eyes looked amazing anyway, but that was probably something that was better off not said. He and Darcy were pretty good friends, she didn’t want to scare him out of the apartment.

There was a sudden noise outside, and his metal hand closed on the plate he was holding with a _crunch_. James looked down at his hand, at the shards along the floor. “Fuck, Jane, I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up.” He pushed other hand through his hair as he looked down at the mess. His expression, his tone indicated he was actually really distraught, and it broke her heart a little.

She reached out and touched his shoulder, shaking her head. “It’s fine, James. That’s a Goodwill plate anyway.” She dropped the towel on the counter and knelt down, picking up the smaller pieces and setting them on the larger shard that looked to be still about a third of the plate.

James knelt down beside her, deftly picking up pieces. “Shit, you’re bleeding!” He grabbed her hand and immediately pulled it up, over her head. “Keep your arm up, go sit down at the table.” He was already up and moving towards the bathroom.

She hadn’t even felt it, but apparently she’d sliced herself on one of the broken pieces. She looked up to see blood dripping from a cut along palm, and she sighed. Of course, now that she saw it, it hurt.

He came back with the first aid kit Darcy insisted they need to have in case of science emergencies, setting it on the table and taking things out. He sat down in the chair next to hers and took her hand in his, the metal rigid against her skin, and yet oddly gentle. “Doesn’t look too deep,” he said, dabbing at it with a piece of gauze. In short order, he had it all bandaged up.

“Thanks, James.” She smiled at him before looking down at the white bandage wrapped around her hand. It still stung a little, but she probably wouldn’t even notice it in an hour.

“You’re welcome. Next time maybe let me take care of it.” He flexed his hand in front of her. “Can’t hurt me.”

“Yeah, just you looked so upset about it…”

His eyes dropped from hers, his face settling into a blank expression. “I’m used to being severely punished for mistakes.” He really didn’t talk a lot about his past. Darcy speculated, of course, and it was pretty obvious that there was some pretty heavy stuff there, but this was the first time she’d actually heard about it.

Without thinking, Jane reached out and rested her hand against his cheek. “Hey, it’s really not a big deal. What am I going to do, make you sleep on the couch?”

Which was where he slept anyway. He reached up, his hand covering her own. His eyes were an unreal shade of blue, wide and vulnerable as he looked back up at her, and a tentative smile moved over his face.

That smile was like a magnet, she was moving towards him, leaning in until her lips gently brushed over his. “Oh!” Her eyes went wide as she pulled back. “Oh, shit. Sorry. Wow, that was… That was bad. I’m so sorry.”

The smile grew until his eyes crinkled at the corners. “Any time you feel like being bad, you let me know.”

If she’d been holding anything, she would have dropped it. Heat rushed to her face as she stared at him, wordless. But he just stood up, packing up the first aid kit. “You stay there until I finish cleaning up, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nurselaney:  
> Jane/Bucky, Coming Down by Halsey
> 
> One of my more persistent AUs is that Bucky stays with Jane and Darcy for a while post CA:TWS but before reuniting with Steve.


	184. Jane/Bucky 9

It was a Tuesday. As Darcy was so fond of pointing out, these things always happened on Tuesday.

It started out normally enough. Jane pulled herself out of bed when her alarm went off. She had a quick shower and mixed up one of those breakfast shake things to drink on her way down to the lab. Bruce was in the elevator, and they smiled and chatted about what each other had planned for the day, and then went separate ways when they got to their R&D floor.

The lights came on in her lab as soon as she pulled the door open. Jane finished her breakfast drink and rinsed out her lidded tumbler and let it sit in the sink where it would wait until she was done for the day and heading back up to her apartment.

She looked over last night’s equations, making sure that she hadn’t made an error out of tiredness, but everything seemed sound. She started applying her math to her model and seeing what happened on the large holographic display that took up the center of her lab.

She needed to get out that day, actually leave the building, but she figured she could just put it off until she took a break for lunch and get everything done at the same time.

She worked pretty steadily for a few hours, until her stomach started audibly reminding her that she needed to put something in it. So Jane left her lab, letting it lock automatically behind her as she started for the elevator down to the lobby.

The elevator was empty when she stepped onto it, but it didn’t stay that way. As she got out of the restricted floors of the tower, more people got on and got off. She pressed herself into the back corner, not intending to get out until they got to the lobby.

Eventually they did get down to the ground floor, and Jane joined the group getting off the elevator. She tossed a wave to Darrel, the security guard, on her way out of the building. And it was a nice day. The sun was shining, but it was starting to head into fall so it lacked the heat and miserable humidity that composed pretty much the entire summer.

She’d do her errand first, then get something to eat. That really seemed like the best decision. So she set off down the sidewalk.

She didn’t get far, though. Something was drawing her attention away from the sidewalk in front of her, and it took a second to figure out what was out of place. The car that was coming down the road wasn’t just on the wrong side of the street, it was flying.

Jane ducked into the nearest building, which happened to be a bank, and stared out the window as more cars came hurtling down the road. She could hear the people now, the screaming and running of panicked people, headed in the same direction that the cars were flying in. She was just about to pull her phone out of her pocket and call someone, but Bruce, significantly larger and greener than the last time she’d seen him, was bounding down the road towards the source of the cars.

Whatever that was.

The stampede of people seemed to have stopped, coinciding with the shrill sirens that were piercing through the glass. She wasn’t alone in front of the door, either, the glass front of the building was lined with people who were peering out and trying to find out what was going on.

She eased the door open and slipped outside. There were protests behind her, words telling her to come back inside where it was safe, but Jane knew better. Inside didn’t mean safe, it just meant inside. Besides, something that could propel cars down the street, not just throw them but propel them horizontal to the surface of the street could be relevant to her field of study.

She let the door close behind her and started down the street towards where the cars were still coming from, half-crouched and keeping low to the ground as she went. She kept her eyes up, peering ahead until she could see what it was. Was that some kind of… portal? Jane straightened up, hand coming up to shade her face against the sun as she peered up the road.

That was definitely a portal of some kind. Black seemed to swirl over itself in a neat oval shape. It was hanging in the air between two tall buildings. She couldn’t see anything else, like who or what had come out of it, but it definitely warranted a closer look.

So intent was she on the portal that she almost missed James stalking towards her until he was practically right on top of her. Her eyes dropped to his face for a second before looking back up at the portal. “Hey, James. That thing is amazing! Where did it come from?”

“Jane, you can’t get any closer, it’s not safe.” And he’d effectively blocked her off, his solid body settled firmly on the sidewalk in front of her. When she moved right, he adjusted. When she moved left, he followed.

“James…” Her eyes moved down to settle on his face for longer this time before drifting back up to the portal. It was like a magnetic pull. “This is what I do. That  _literally_  is what I do.”

“I know. But it’s not safe out here.” She went to push past him, and his hands closed over her shoulders. “Hey, now. Don’t think so.”

“James…” Jane could feel her face heating up with her temper, and she locked her gaze on his to see his piercing blue eyes looking more than a little amused. “You need to let me go.”

“Just wait, okay? Clint’s flyin’ in, he’ll grab you and take you up for a closer look.”

She stared up at him at him and her temper sort of ebbed as he grinned down at her. Her mouth opened then immediately closed, a smile turning up the corners of her lips. “You know I love you, right?”

James still had ahold of her arms, and he gently turned her and maneuvered her back into the concrete side of the nearest building. He bent down and sealed his lips over hers, and she reached up to catch her fingers in the long hair hanging down at the back of his neck.

In just a second, Clint’s voice filled the air, like it was being broadcast. “Can you keep your keep your hands off your tiny scientist for two minutes?”

Jane was grinning as she settled back down against the side of the building. “I think that’s my ride.”  Sure enough, she could see the quinjet hovering behind James, ramp extending down from the back of it.

“I love you.” His eyes flicked back and forth between hers. “Stay safe. No askin’ to get closer and puttin’ yourself in danger.”

She leaned up and gave him another quick kiss. “I’ll see you back at the tower.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> iamartemisday:  
> Bucky/Jane- Blood on my Name by The Brothers Bright


	185. Jane/Bucky 10

Jane pressed her thumb against the pad beside her door. It buzzed, the lock clicked, and she pushed her way into her apartment.

The first thing she noticed was that something smelled absolutely fantastic. Something smelled a lot like… curry. Coconut curry, to be exact. An eyebrow raised, and she made her way through to the kitchen to see if she could find out where it was coming from.

James. James was in her kitchen, standing in front of her stove and actually cooking. He was the source of the curry smell, or rather, the cause of it, and there was a bit of a a guilty expression on his face as he looked up at her. “Hey. You’re back early.”

“Yeah, I realized it was already dark and I thought I could maybe spend some time with my boyfriend. You’re…” Her eyes dropped to the stove and then the tablet on the counter, probably with a recipe on it. “It smells really good. I was just gonna order pizza or something, but I like your idea a lot more.”

The guilty look vanished under a smile. “I hope it tastes as good as it smells.”

“If it tastes even half as good as it smells, it’ll be amazing.” She moved across the kitchen and rested her hand on his shoulder, rising up on her toes. He cooperated, turning to give her a quick kiss before he turned his attention back to the stove. “Can I help with anything?”

“This is almost done. Do you wanna get the rice started?” He glanced at her again, and she nodded.

Jane helped him finish making dinner, and then the two of them were sitting at her tiny kitchen table to eat. She took a big bite of food, and her eyes closed briefly as it hit her tongue.

She nodded as she chewed and swallowed. “This is absolutely amazing.”

“The internet helps a lot.”  James gave an emphatic nod, then put the fork down and looked at her. “Darcy was tellin’ me that the next step with your girl is movin’ in together?” It was a question, like he wasn’t entirely sure that what he was hearing was true.

Her eyes widened a little. “Yeah. If you’re in a serious relationship and you want to get more serious, then you move in together. Some people don’t even get married nowadays. I mean, not that I wouldn’t think about it, but usually…” She was babbling a little, and James reached across the table and picked up her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

“Do you want to?” There was a sincerity in his blue eyes, and hope, but it was tempered like he was actually worried she would say no.

“Of course!” It wasn’t even a question that warranted thinking about. She was grinning, and she got up and went around the table to lean over and wrap her arms around his shoulders.

He turned towards her and embraced her in return, although it was a little awkward. And a bit uncomfortable, Jane had to stand up not too much later. She didn’t move away, though, and James pushed his chair back a little so that he could pull her down onto his knee. “Now the only question is… Your place or mine?””

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nurselaney:  
> 20 and Bucky/Jane  
> 20) longer nights


	186. Jane/Bucky 11

There was a slightly strained expression on James’ face, and it had been there ever since they’d left the Tower. Jane looped her arms around his upper arm, snuggling close enough to rest her head against his shoulder. “Darcy told me that Tony reserved the whole place for us, so we’ll be the only ones there.” That wasn’t the first time she had told him that, either, but he did seem to relax just a little bit. He wasn’t  good with groups of people. Rather, he wasn’t good as a civilian with groups of people, he said you never knew where a knife was coming from.

Steve glanced back from where he was driving, his blue eyes appearing in the rear view mirror for a second. “Just think of all the pie Darce is gonna make for us when we get back. Best pie you’ve ever had.”

“Mmhmm,” came from where Sam was sitting in the front passenger seat.

He’d be fine once they got there and saw that they were, in fact the only ones there. That seemed to be the general consensus, anyway.

And sure enough, once Steve pulled the SUV to a stop and they all got out, there was no one else around. Well, there was the owner of the place, but no one else was moving around the pumpkin patch. It was just them. And James did relax a little, the hard lines of his shoulders dropping into something that had to be a lot more comfortable.

They ended up walking along the wide open field, linked together. “Are we gettin’ one?” James asked, looking down at Jane. They were ambling more than anything, just moving slowly together in a direction.

That actually wasn’t something Jane had thought about. She’d been more looking at this as a  _have some time out with James_. “We could. We could get a pumpkin. Clean it out, carve it.” She stopped walking, and when he did too, she moved around in front of him to face him. Her hands braced against his chest as she looked up at him, and it seemed almost automatic that his arms came around her. “Do you want to?”

“I always did one with my sisters.” A smile, fond and wistful but not really sad, moved across his face. “Not sure I trust you with a knife given how many fires there’ve been in your lab. You’re not even in a fire-using field.” As she was so fond of pointing out every time there was a fire in her lab.

“Those weren’t my fault!” Jane protested, but she was smiling too. “But I’ll leave all the carving to you.”

He leaned down to kiss her, lingering for a few seconds before straightening away. “Guess we should start lookin’ for one, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> iamartemisday:  
> Bucky/Jane- pumpkin picking.


	187. Jane/Bucky/Steve

“Mmm,” Jane hummed, stretching languorously in her bed. She was warm, she was comfortable, for once there was no pressing reason for her to get out of bed. James was settled behind her, his warm palm brushing back and forth between her nipples. Something wasn’t quite right, though.

She let her hand drift up behind her to push through his hair, the tips of her fingers rubbing against his scalp. He was as hard as he usually was in the morning. “Good morning,” she murmured, turning onto her back and opening her eyes to look at him.

She froze. Beside her, on her  _other_  side was a pair of clear blue eyes that were raptly watching her face. That’s what wasn’t quite right, the dip of the mattress from weight in front of her. “Why… Why are there two of you?”

“Stevie spent the night last night, don’t you remember?” James sounded completely unconcerned about it, his fingers catching against one pebbled nipple.

Vaguely. She vaguely remembered that. James had pulled her out of her lab when she’d fallen asleep across her desk again, sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her up to their apartment. Steve had been there, she remembered, and James had asked her if Steve could stay the night because he didn’t want to be alone. She’d said yes.

Apparently Steve spending the night had meant spending the night  _in bed with them_. And being present and awake for foreplay in the morning.

“Okay, but…” She pushed James’ hand away and sat up against the pillows at the head of the bed, tucking the sheet firmly over her bare breasts. “I don’t remember the conversation where we said Steve would be here while we had sex.”

“Well, not last night. But we’ve talked about it.” His hand emerged from under the sheet to gesture back and forth between them. “And we’ve talked about it.” He gestured between himself and Steve, who was looking kind of on the verge of sliding off of the bed and leaving the room. “Baby-doll, it took you weeks to catch on that I was makin’ a move on you. And Stevie here, he’s just as bad. Just thought I’d speed things up a little.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve said, eyes moving between them. “Bucky said you were fine with it, but I’ll just-”

James let out a loud sigh. “Sit your ass back down, Stevie. Look, it’s real easy. Do you want Jane?”

Steve’s cheeks went just a little pink, but he nodded, his eyes coming back to Jane’s.

“And you…” The backs of James’ knuckles brushed over Jane’s cheek. “You still want Steve to join us?”

She could feel her own cheeks starting to heat up a little. She glanced between James and Steve, two pairs of blue eyes watching her expectantly. She nodded, just a little.

“There. Now get back down here.” His hand slipped under the small of her back, tugging until she was flat on her back on the bed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Steve/Jane/Bucky - "Why are there two of you?"


	188. Jane/Clint

“Can you just…” A look over showed Clint considerably more pale than usual, his fingers gripping tight into the recessed armrest on the door. “Can you just let me drive?”

Jane turned her attention back to the road, her own hands gripping tightly at the steering wheel of her aptly-named science van. “You want me to just pull over and switch seats?”

“I’ve had training in changing seats with the driver while under motion.”

“No! I’m not… No! I’m doing fine!” She shook her head, feeling particularly grim and determined as she swerved to avoid a piece of  _spaceship_  that was in the middle of the road. “This is my baby, and you’d probably crash her or something!”

“I’m not the one who crashed the van into an actual person.” There was a pause. “Twice.”

“Do you see any Asgardians dropping out of the sky anywhere? Do you?” Jane pried one hand off the steering wheel to sweep it in a wide gesture in front of her. “I sure don’t! Spaceship, pieces of mountain, but no Asgardians dropping out of nowhere!”

She heard him take a deep breath. It was the same thing he did when he was trying to calm himself, the same thing he did before taking a particularly tricky shot. “Jane…”

“Oh shit!” She swerved suddenly, her van making protesting squealing noises.

“Where the fuck did that clown come from?” She could see Clint twisting around to look behind them, but at the same time, the front end careened towards a huge, jagged chunk of metal, and she had to correct. That sent her hurtling towards a chunk of mountain, and she sort of fishtailed back and forth before finally pulling the van straight again.

Her pulse was hammering in her ears and she stared hard out the window. “That wasn’t my fault,” she insisted quietly at the windshield. “That guy popped up out of the ground.”

“I know, babe.”

Jane took a deep, shaking breath. “Did you wanna drive?”

“Yeah. Lift up and hold still. Don’t worry about losing speed, just keep us from hitting anything, okay?”

Bracing herself against the steering wheel, she sort of pushed herself up on her heels, trying to keep her foot on the gas pedal. It… kinda worked.

Clint was better at this than she was, though. He slid between her and the seat, deftly arranging her until she was sitting on his lap, but it was his hands on the steering wheel, his foot on the gas pedal. 

She shrank back into his shoulder as much as she could so he could still see. “Now how do I move?”

“Feet first. You turn to the side and go. But you’ll be crossing my field of vision, so give me a second.”

“Okay.” She felt raw, emotions close to the surface, and when a sudden thought crossed her mind she couldn’t contain her giggle. She tried to, because all the shaking probably wasn’t helping Clint drive, but she tried.

“What?”

“Clown, Clint?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> "Where the fuck did that clown come from?" Jane/Clint


	189. Jane/Clint 2

Jane looked up at the blond man, eyes widening as she took him in. Easy smile on his face, relaxed stance that was slightly leaning towards her. “Are you… Are you flirting with me?”

“Oh my  _god_ , Jane, only for, like, the past  _hour_. Yes, the hot archer dude is totally hitting on you.” Darcy paused, and Jane could feel her cheeks heating up a little. “I’d totally hit that, though, so good job you!”

Jane pressed her lips into a smile that felt a little bit more like a grimace. She looked up at the man in front of her, who was admittedly rather attractive. “I’m sorry, Darcy thinks she’s entitled to run my life.”

“Um, I  _am_  entitled to run your life. Isn’t that what you hired me for?”

The man’s lips were twitching, but he looked like he actually was about two seconds away from laughing. “Why don’t we get some fresh air? You can make sure we got everything off the truck.”

“Ooh, do  _that_!”

Jane let out a long sigh and nodded, following him out of the glass-fronted lab that had been an automotive service center at some point, and into the dry New Mexico air. He held the door for her, letting it swing shut as soon as she was outside. “Sorry, I don’t think I caught your name.”

“Clint. Clint Barton.”

His smile was infectious, and Jane felt the corners of her lips pulling up into a genuine grin. “I’m Jane.”

“I know. Dr. Jane Foster, astrophysicist. SHIELD’s been interested in you for a while. Shit.” He winced, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck as they meandered around the side of the building to where the truck they’d put her equipment on was stashed. “Now you’re going to think I’m some kind of crazy stalker.”

She glanced up at him, tucking her hands deep into the pockets of her jeans. “Isn’t that true, though? Isn’t that what SHIELD does? You came out here and you already knew everything about me and Erik.”

He winced again, pulling a pair of dark sunglasses out of his pocket and sliding them onto his face. “Can we start again? Hi, I’m Clint, I’m an ex circus performer.”

Jane came to a stop and turned to face him, one eyebrow arching. “Are you really?”

He stopped too, and that grin was back as he looked down at her. “Sure am. that’s where I learned how to shoot. Learned a bunch of other things, I can make a mean funnel cake.”

She offered him her hand, which practically disappeared in his own. His fingers were long, callused from probably decades with his bow. “I’m Jane.”

“And? You gotta tell me something about you.”

“Um…” She laughed a little, shaking her head as she looked up at him. It was impossible to be angry with him for some reason. “I love the stars.”

He glanced around the the town, then up at the sky. “I bet you get a pretty good view out here.”

“Yeah, we do.” He still had her hand, she realized, but she didn’t mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lark-cale:  
> "Are you flirting with me?" With either Clint/Darcy, Clint/Pepper or Clint/Jane your choice.
> 
> Clint/Jane, obviously. :D


	190. Jane/Clint 3

“I guess you’ll do.”

Jane startled a bit at the unexpected voice, looking up at the man standing across the room from her. What was his name? Carl? Jason? Something. He was one of SHIELD’s men, that much was obvious- dressed all in black, wearing the heavy black boots that Erik had commented on.

The man with sandy-colored hair was standing at the door to the lab, and how did he get in without her noticing? He was standing there with his hands on his hips, a dark pair of sunglasses shading his eyes.

She glanced around to make sure he was talking to her. Not that there was anyone else around. Darcy had disappeared saying she was going shopping, and Erik had gone back up to Culver to see if he could track down his colleague that knew about SHIELD. “What exactly will I do for?”

“I need to borrow you for a second.” He paused, looking across at her. “Top-secret government mission.”

Jane arched an eyebrow at him. “I think I’m about all government missioned out, thanks, though.”

He seemed prepared for that. “I can tell you what happened to your intern’s iPod.”

Okay, that was something worth considering. Because Darcy was  _still_  bringing that up. She stared at him for a second, then nodded, setting her tablet down on the table in front of her. “Fine.”

He pushed the door open, standing in it to hold it with his body as she moved across the lab. Darcy had her own key, of course, so Jane locked the door and stepped down off the sidewalk into the parking lot.

“I’m over here,” he said, pointing to a shiny black pickup truck that obviously hadn’t spent too much time out in the small desert town.

She followed him across the parking lot and climbed up into the passenger side, automatically going to buckle up her seat. “Where is it?” she asked as soon as his butt hit the seat on the driver’s side.

He glanced over at her, and he looked just faintly amused.  “You sure don’t waste time, do you?” When Jane just raised her eyebrow at him and gestured, he grinned. “My boss has it. Why, I’m not sure. I think we’re about to go find out, though.”

“This is your top secret government mission? We’re going to spy on your boss? That wouldn’t be Coulson, would it?”

“Yep.” He eased the truck out of the parking lot and down onto the street’s main drag. He didn’t stop, though, apparently they weren’t staying in town.

She settled back into her seat, folding her arms. “How long is this gonna take? Some of us have work to do.”

“Not long.”

 _After_  the drive to the next town. But he drove, pulling up outside a Barnes and Noble. They’d been quiet for most of the drive, and now he shut the truck off. “Come on,” he said, opening his door and getting out.

Rolling her eyes, Jane got out of the truck, too. She followed him into the bookstore.

He stopped just inside, pulling off his sunglasses and pocketing them. He was pretty tall, and his startlingly blue eyes scanned the bookstore. “Oh, shit.” He turned to Jane, stepping into her and sort of herding her away from the doorway. “Quick, kiss me.”

She looked up at him, lips pressing together as she decided how much it would hurt just to smack him. “No?”

Before anything else could be said, or smacked, Jane heard a very familiar voice. “Jane? What are you doing here?”

What was Darcy doing here? Jane peered out from around whatever his name was’ arm. Sure enough, there was Darcy. And behind her… “Ah.” The iPod-thieving boss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lark-cale:  
> 71 Clint/Jane for the drabble thing.  
> 71\. “Kiss me, quick!” 
> 
> In the same 'verse as Chapter 50.


	191. Jane/Rhodey

Jane twisted her ring around her finger. She was hardly even aware she was doing it, her hands clasped together in her lap as she tried desperately not to stare at the clock.

It wasn’t working. So far the longest she’d been able to look away from the clock was about two minutes, and then it had only been because Pepper was whisper-scolding Tony while Darcy looked on with a very what-the-fuck look on her face.

The second hand was ticking almost excruciatingly slowly as it circled the numbers again and again. Darcy was sitting beside her now, a cup of coffee on the square armrests between them that she’d barely touched.

At last the door opened. “Mrs. Rhodes?” The doctor was standing there, the pinch of tiredness between his eyes visible behind his glasses.

“That’s Dr. Foster,” Tony said in a very put-upon voice. He  _still_  wasn’t happy that they were at an actual hospital rather than the medical wing in the Avengers Tower, but Darcy shot him a look and Thor rested a large hand against his shoulder, and he kind of subsided.

Jane got to her feet, her hands falling beside her. She felt Darcy’s small fingers encircling hers and gave them a grateful squeeze. “Yes?”

“Colonel Rhodes is out of surgery and awake now, if you’d like to go in and see him.” His eyes flicked around the  _very_  crowded waiting room. “Just you.”

Jane’s hand slipped away from Darcy’s as she moved towards the door the doctor was holding open for her, moving almost like she was on autopilot. She passed by the doctor and he fell in step beside her. He was talking, but she couldn’t really absorb what he was saying. She didn’t remember his name, even, but he was taking her to see James, she supposed she should probably try and find out.

He led her down the hallway to another door, where he knocked briefly before pushing it open. Jane stepped in past him, her eyes flying to the man on the bed. She didn’t cry, she never cried, but tears were filling her eyes right now.

“Hey, baby,” James greeted, voice raspy and half-mumbling. He never called her that. He had to be high on morphine or something, but his unfocused eyes fixed on hers, his mouth giving a good effort at a smile.

She went to his side, picking up his hand, careful of the IV running to the side of his wrist. There was a splint on two of the fingers on his other hand, most of his arm looked like it was in a cast. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” He wasn’t, though. She didn’t even have to look at him very hard to see that he wasn’t. He was more bandage than James at the moment.

“Take more than a building landing on me to make me leave you. Didn’t I promise?” His words slurred together, but his fingers twitched in her grasp.

She leaned her head against his unhurt shoulder, her silent tears leaving heavy wet spots on the hospital gown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mintchipandbooks:  
> Jane/Rhodey because I lurve them… please.   
> I'll Always Be There by Roch Voisine.


	192. Jane/Rumlow

Jane recognized the emblem, if not the man. The stylized silver eagle emblazoned on the black sleeve of his t-shirt, there was no one that could be but SHIELD. He looked every part the SHIELD guy, too, carrying himself with a dangerous grace that said he was dangerous as hell.

A glance at his eyes showed he’d seen her looking at the emblem, and she quickly looked away, but it was too late. He was walking across the bookstore towards her purposely, like she was who he was looking for.

“Can you keep a secret?” he murmured to her, his hand sliding familiarly into the small of her back, close enough that her shoulder brushed against his chest.

“This isn’t another government-sanctioned kidnapping, is it?” Jane whispered, glancing around the store. It wasn’t  _busy_ , but there were people there… None who appeared to paying them any attention. She briefly debated the merits of making scene and getting the hell out of there, but SHIELD guys usually didn’t travel alone, and usually carried enough firepower to level a city block. This one didn’t appear to be armed, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

“So you do have experience with SHIELD.” He sounded entirely too amused, a look over showed a smirk on his face.

“What do you want?” She looked up into his dark eyes.

His head came down towards her, lips stopping just by her ear. “To join my beautiful girlfriend for a cup of coffee.”

Jane rolled her eyes. “Too bad I didn’t order anything for you.”

Just then, the barista called, “Jane?” She looked over to see the young man setting her drink on the counter. He made brief eye-contact and smiled in a friendly way. There was no mistaking that he’d been talking to her, either, which meant that the SHIELD guy knew her name now, too.

The gentle but insistent pressure against her back got her moving over to where her latte was sitting on the counter. SHIELD-guy came with her, of course, keeping his hand on her back. “Hey,” he said to the barista. “Can I just get a small, black coffee?” He fished a loose bill out of it pocket and handed it over when the young man walked towards them with a cup of coffee. “Just keep it.” He ignored the answering thanks, turning his attention back to Jane. “Such a beautiful day, we should drink these outside.”

Sighing, Jane took her drink over to the door and pulled it open, admitting them out into the sunshine. It was a nice day out, the sun was shining and the chill in the air was negligible.

The pressure on her back guided her through the tables until they reached the one in the corner of the little fenced-in area. His hand finally left her as they came to a stop by the table, and he reached down to pull a chair out for her. He took the chair to her right, sliding a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes. He raised his cup to her before having a long drink of his hot coffee.

“Who are you?” Jane asked, staring at him.

“Name’s Brock.” Nothing else was forthcoming, though. He was sprawled kind of casually across his chair, but there was a coiled readiness to him that Jane probably wouldn’t have noticed if she hadn’t been sitting right next to him.

He faced out over the street as they drank their coffee, she couldn’t see where he was actually looking. As soon as he finished his coffee, though, he was on his feet. He bent down, hand braced against the back of the chair, until his mouth was beside her ear again. “I’m sure I’ll see you again, Dr. Foster.” And then he was moving past her, out of the fenced-in area to walk down the sidewalk until she couldn’t see him anymore.

That was… Odd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Jane/Brock "can you keep a secret?"


	193. Jane/Sam

Tony had, of course, used the announcement that she was a Nobel candidate as an excuse to throw a party. He came into her lab and sat down and actually coordinated schedules for it, which meant that Jane had to go. There was no ducking out of this one.

It wasn’t so bad. Most of the people there she knew, and Tony seemed determined that her glass would literally never be empty. He would just wander by and take a look at her glass before wandering off again. The first drink had vanished pretty quickly and was deftly replaced, almost before she knew what was going on. Her next drink was finished a lot slower.

Darcy was there, of course, and seemed to have mastered the balance between hanging out for moral support and giving Jane some space before she became overwhelmed by Darcy’s very Darcyness. Of course, she was there with Thor and the other guy she was seeing, and after that first drink,  _that_  was a little bittersweet.

It hadn’t worked out between them, and they had quite amicably gone their separate ways, were still quite good friends even. And it wasn’t that Jane was jealous, it was just… Seeing that reminded Jane of what she didn’t have, and the fact that she had less than no time to be finding that again. She was content with her choice to concentrate on her career, absolutely didn’t regret it, but… Why couldn’t she have both?

“Hey,” came a smooth voice, breaking her out of the slightly maudlin spaced-out state she’d been in. She looked over to see Steve’s friend, Sam, walking towards her with a friendly smile on his face. They’d met… Once? Twice. “You look like you could use some air.”

She looked up at him as he came to a stop beside her chair. He had a bottle of some sort of beer in his hand, the other hand pushed into the pocket of his dark jeans. With a glance back over to Darcy, Jane nodded. That actually sounded like a really good idea. “Yeah.” Except… “Where?”

He gestured with his head, and she followed the motion to see a pair of sliding glass doors she hadn’t noticed before. “There’s a terrace out there. The view’s incredible.”

She stood and moved towards the doors, drink in her hand. Sam walked behind her, close enough that he was walking with her, but still giving her her personal space. She reached out and grabbed the handle of the door, and it slid easily open, letting her out into the warm summer night.

“It’s not the night sky, but this is still very pretty,” she said, walking over to the right. Terrace was a good description, there was enough room out here on the balcony to have the party out here. But they weren’t, it was just the two of them, and that was kind of nice.

The sliding door closed, and in just a moment Sam was standing at the balcony next to her, looking out over the lights of the city.

Jane looked up at him for just a second before turning her attention back in front of her. They were higher up than most of the buildings in the city, and it was almost like a field of stars stretched out below her. “Maybe now I’ll be able to finish my drink without worrying that Tony’s going to refill it before I even realize it.”

Sam snickered, but he didn’t seem to be one of those people who needed to fill every moment with words. That was nice. It wasn’t uncomfortable, either, just standing together and looking down at the city spread in front of them.

After a while, she looked up at him again. “How did you get sucked into this? Me, it was pretty… Organic, I guess you could say?” Although she grimaced at her word choice. “Between Tony’s need to collect scientists to science-  _do_  science with- and Darcy’s enthusiasm about everything Avengers, not to mention the funding…” Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “It was really only a matter of time before I ended up here.”

He looked down at her, a grin spreading across his features. Quite handsome features, if she was going to look for that kind of thing. “Steve… ” Her eyebrow arched in question, and he took a drink from his bottle before elaborating. “I was out for my morning run, and he was being kind of a shit as he lapped me.” He gave an easy shrug. “We got to talking, then the next thing I know he and Nat are showing up on my doorstep.”

Jane could believe that. Steve had a very dry sense of humor. She nodded, turning her attention back to the city below. Her drink was empty, and she rested it on the wide concrete railing that kept them from tumbling down so far.

There was a clink as his empty glass bottle joined it. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

“Um…” She sighed, trying to remember what was in her schedule for the following evening. “Data entry, I think.” She shook her head. “I really need to take Pepper up on her offer to find me an RAA now that Darcy’s doing the PR thing.”

“You wanna grab some dinner?”

“Yeah. I mean, I will at some point. I know everything thinks I don’t eat, I just… Eat when I think about it. And tomorrow, I’m probably going to be looking for a distraction.” Jane shook her head again. Data entry was definitely not her favorite thing.

“No…” She heard the amusement in his voice. “Jane, I’m asking you out.”

“You…” She turned to look up at him, taking in the grin on Sam’s face. “Tomorrow? Me? To dinner? Tomorrow?”

“Yes to all of that.” He was still grinning down at her, but she didn’t get the sense that he was laughing at her.

“Uh, yes. I mean… Dinner, tomorrow. Yes.” She nodded once before turning back towards the railing, her heart pounding up in her ears. She could feel the heat rising up in her face and hoped it was dark enough that he couldn’t see.

Sam continued to look down at her for a moment, and when he turned back to look out over the city, his hand came up to rest against the small of her back. And somehow, when Tony burst outside to check on her drink, she’d ended up with her head against his shoulder, his arm around her with his hand splayed across her hip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Sam/Jane, Angel by The Weeknd


	194. Jane/Starlord

For the most part, Jane didn’t care that there were  _actual aliens, Jane_ , on the base. She’d met her fair share of actual aliens, granted most of them had been met while she was an alien on  _their_  planet… But she had had work to do that didn’t involve gawking at people with green and gray skin, and a talking raccoon.

And they stayed out of her lab, for the most part. Which was also good. Apparently they tended towards larceny, and Jane was  _still_  sensitive about any of her equipment going missing.

Which, of course, begged the question of why she was even working directly for SHIELD. It had seemed like a good idea at the time… Erik was working here, and he’d asked if she would join him. Apparently they were down some in-house scientists after Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark had left. And, of course, Darcy was there…

And currently on the other side of the lab doing some sort of what looked like verbal foreplay with the large guy with gray skin and red tattoos. She knew what flirting!Darcy looked like, and that was definitely flirting!Darcy. And the guy looked about two seconds away from pushing her up against the wall…

“Darcy, remember what I said about carnal activities in the lab,” she cautioned, raising her eyebrow at her former intern before turning her attention back to the specimen currently up on her microscope.

“Only scientifically-approved ones? Think of the study in biology, though…”

Jane rolled her eyes, adjusting the screen on her piece of equipment. That had been another draw, SHIELD was prepared to pay through the nose for whatever equipment she wanted, and had a team of engineers to create it if that’s what was required.

Using the butt end of the Official Pen of Scientific Poking, Jane nudged the rocks on the viewing area. “Moon rocks?” She muttered to herself. They didn’t _look_  like rocks from Earth’s moon. But they’d been found in the mountains in Colorado, and they  _weren’t_  from Earth.

“Those aren’t moon rocks, they look more like the rocks I saw on that planet with the bar and the alien-chick with the huge… uh…” Jane looked over to see one of the four interstellar visitors to the base standing there with his hands on his hips, squinting at her screen. He glanced at Jane and gave her a wide grin. “With the really nice ring system?”

Her hands went on  _her_  hips, and she turned to face him. “You wouldn’t happen to have a name for this planet, would you?”

He turned away to call to his friend. “Hey, Drax. What was the name of that shithole planet we were at about a month ago with that bar and the snail-fighting?”

“The one where you would not stop talking about the breasts of that-”

“Thanks, Drax! Super helpful!” There was an impatient, quelling note to his voice, and he turned back around, one hand lifting up to rub the back of his neck. “Um… I can check our ship logs if you want.”

“That might help.” Jane nodded, glancing back at the rock. “Any chance you took a picture or a sample?”

“No? We could go back, though.” He shrugged. “Once we leave here. I don’t think we have anything else going on right now.”

She shook her head. “You don’t need to go to all that trouble.”

“No trouble, really.” He looked so  _earnest_  about it, too, and Jane couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Okay. If you happened to be in the area, a comparative sample would be really helpful.” She looked up at him for a second. “What’s your name?” She’d probably heard it at some point, but she was  _so bad_  with names.

“Starlo-” He paused. “Peter. Peter Quill.”

“Thanks, Peter.”

“No problem.” He was still smiling at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling a little bit.

“Hey, Jane, remember the rule about carnal activities in your lab?” Darcy called from across the room.

Jane could feel her cheeks getting hot, and she tore her gaze away from Peter’s eyes. He had really nice eyes, too. “Darcy, so help me…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trooperschaf:   
> Jane / Starlord - “Those are not moonrocks, they look more like the rocks I saw on that planet with the bar and the alienchick witht the huuuuge… uhm… with the really nice ring system”


	195. Jane/Steve

Jane sighed heavily, squinting down at the notepad in front of her. “This is not what I was looking for,” she said to herself, picking it up off the desk. It was one of her notepads, the completely blank ones with the black spines- Tony didn’t use paper and Bruce used spiral-bound steno pads.

It was art work, done in pencil. Like,  _fantastic_  artwork. It was… Her. At her laptop. Whoever it was had even captured the little line between her eyes she’d been assured she got when she was concentrating on Science!

She tried to think who could have done it. There’d been a meeting in the communal lab-space that morning- why, she wasn’t entirely sure, it had been Tony’s doing. Thick glass separated her work space from the communal area, completely soundproofed, but they’d been out there… And someone had obviously noticed her working away at her computer.

There wasn’t any point in trying to figure it out, either. Other than knowing that it wasn’t Thor- as awesome as he was, his talents were  _not_  artistic- she couldn’t even begin to think who it might have been. Because it was really well done.

Steve came in from the direction of the elevators, eyes roaming the room like he was looking for something. He noticed Jane and froze for a second, eyes dropping down to the notepad in her hand.

“I think that’s mine,” he said, sounding apologetic.

“Actually it’s mine.” She flipped it closed, her thumb holding to place where the sketch was. “Black spine.”

“Sorry, I wouldn’t have…” He sounded genuinely apologetic, too. “I got bored during the meeting, and it was sitting there empty… I figured it was, well, it wasn’t. I’m sorry.”

“No, that’s not…” Jane flipped it open again, her eyes moving over the likeness of herself. “This is really well done. Really, really good.”

“Thank you.” A shy smile moved over his face as he walked towards her. “I sketch a little. I was really sick a lot as a kid, and this was one of the few things I could do.”

She’d heard that, that before the Erskine Serum he’d been about an inch taller than her, and probably just about as heavy. “Nothing more interesting for you to draw?”

He seemed to get a little pink at that, eyes darting to the ceiling. “I think you’re interesting, Dr. Foster.” After a second, his eyes came back to hers, wide and sort of questioning.

“Jane.” She closed the notepad and pushed it towards him, but he shook his head.

“No, you keep it. It’s in your book, after all. Although maybe…” He took in a deep breath, hands going into his pockets as his smile got a little bigger. “Maybe we can get coffee and I can use my own sketchbook?”

“Yeah.” Jane nodded, her mouth moving into a wide grin. “Yeah, we should definitely do that.”

His eyebrow quirked a little like he hadn’t been expecting her to say yes so quickly. “Okay, then.”

“Okay.” She couldn’t stop smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Jane/Steve. "This is not what I was looking for."
> 
> Because when he asked out Agent 33 he was SUPER ADORABLE OMG.


	196. Jane/Trip

Jane hadn’t really been  _surprised_  that Coulson was still alive, even though Thor had said he’d been killed by Loki. Apparently he had actually died, but SHIELD brought him back with some sort of alien technology.

And SHIELD hadn’t really disappeared, that hadn’t been a terrible shock, either. Neither was the announcement that they wanted her to consult for them, although it was a little surprising that they’d  _asked_  when they’d shown up on her doorstep instead of just waiting until she was out for coffee, and then snagging her with a black bag over her head.

Apparently they were into aliens. And didn’t have an astrophysicist or theoretical physicist on staff. That didn’t make much sense, in her opinion, how could you properly study something from another planet, another galaxy, without having someone on staff who specialized in how it all fit together?

Jane ended up staying there, for the most part. Everything they did was so _fascinating_ , especially after Coulson started carving into the walls. A map, it turned out to be a map.

“I know that look,” Trip said, coming up to her after the briefing was done. She was sitting in the living room area, feet tucked up under her, flipping through her black notebook. It was a little worse for wear after all this time, but it still held all of her observations and theories.

She looked up at him, unable to stop her smile. “What look is that?”

“The look that says you’re going to remind Coulson that technically you don’t work for him, and if he really wants to stop you from going somewhere, you’ll blackmail him.” He was grinning as he lowered himself to sit next to her.

“I wouldn’t  _blackmail_  him…” Trip just raised an eyebrow, completely unconvinced as his arm came across her shoulders, pulling her into his side.

“You wouldn’t  _call_ it blackmail, anyway.”

She let herself relax against him, resting her head against his shoulder. “I have to go. This could be an unparalleled opportunity to learn about the Kree. Where they originate from, how they travel here…”

“Are you really going to blackmail Coulson?” It was Skye, coming through the room and settling down on Trip’s other side.

“I wouldn’t call it blackmail,” Jane protested, but a glance over showed that the other two weren’t convinced.

“You’re not even going to try telling her this is a bad idea? It’ll be dangerous, we don’t have any idea what we’re going into here, Jane. Wouldn’t you rather wait until we come back, and you can come down when it’s safe?”

Trip leaned over and brushed his lips over the top of Jane’s head. “What can I say? She blinded me by science.”

“Okay, I think I’m going to hurl if I stay here too much longer.” Skye was grinning, though, as she got up and let herself back out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phoenix-173:  
> Jane/Trip. She blinded me with SCIENCE!


	197. Jane/Tony

“What’s that?” Tony had said  _something_ , but Jane had gotten just about as good at tuning him out as she had at tuning Darcy out. The words just rolled through her head, but certain things would actually pull at her attention. Something about dating? Because they were forever trying to set her up with someone, both of them were, but she had other priorities at the moment. However, information could be used to set up suitable defenses.

“I need you to pretend we’re dating.”

Wow. That was… That was a new one. She blinked a little too hard as she looked up from her screen, swiveling her chair around to see Tony leaning against the other desk with an air of feigned nonchalance so transparent she could practically see through him. “What?”

He rested his hands on his hips, his eyes trained straight at her, a little too intensely. “I’d ask your plucky intern, but apparently she’s actually fucking  _him_ at this point in his life, and believe me, out of everything that has happened in my life, that’s one of the weirdest things. Did Darcy mention time travel to you at any point?”

She paused for a second. “Why, exactly?” The time travel thing she would come back to in a minute, but she was still trying to process the first part.

He sighed, unfolding his arms as he paced through the room towards her. He wasn’t looking at her anymore, instead his eyes were focused on her work. “Everything I do is a point of criticism for this man. The more it looks like I have in order, the less he’ll…”

Jane tilted her head back to look up at him as his own eyes moved studiously over her screen. “But you don’t even exist yet. How is he going to…”

“I assume it has to start sometime.” His gaze flicked to her for just a second before turning his attention back to her screen. “You’re a highly intelligent, beautiful woman at the top of your field. The man who was lucky enough to catch your attention would have to be a pretty special guy.”

On the one hand, she was pretty sure he’d said something like that to someone else at some point in his life. Almost 95% sure, maybe a little more. On the other, though, he looked so earnest and vulnerable. Tony Stark was many things, but vulnerable wasn’t one of them. At least she’d never seen it before now.

She reached out and rested her hand on his forearm, and he looked right down at her. “I don’t lie. Darcy says it’s one of my shortcomings, but I don’t… I’m not good at it. I get all flustered and giggle, it’s not something I can do.”

“Okay…” An eyebrow arched, and one corner of his mouth turned up in a bit of  a smirk. “What if it wasn’t a lie?”

“You just told me that I’m your second choice after the woman who is sleeping with your dad. Or was sleeping with your dad…” Jane shook her head. Okay, she was really going to have to come back to that in a second. “And now you’re asking me out?” Her own eyebrow lifted and she folded her arms as she leaned back in her seat.

“I wouldn’t really ask her first, I’m just still trying to process that.” He shrugged. “Because Darcy doesn’t actually date. She goes out and has fun, and has a wide variety of dynamic relationships  _including one with my father_ , but she doesn’t actually date. You…” Tony reached for her, his fingers falling just shy of her cheek. “You commit. You’re a busy woman. You don’t want to waste your time on something that isn’t serious.”

Well, it wasn’t like he was wrong, and her relationship history was certainly a testament to that. “And you’re serious?”

“It’s still a little new and different for me, but I’m working on it. Have you not noticed how much time I’ve been spending in here lately? This really isn’t my field.” An incredulous grin spread across his face. “You… really haven’t, have you?”

Now that he mentioned it, she had been not paying attention to him a lot more recently. Because he was… Interested? In her? She couldn’t help it, she started to giggle.

He gave her an incredulous look. “Seriously in danger of wounding my manly pride here, Jane.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” She shook her head, attempting to stop. A snicker or two slipped out, but at least she stopped laughing. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He turned around to perch himself on the edge of the desk. “Flowers? Chocolates? Strawberries and balloons? Help me out here.”

Okay, now she couldn’t stop smiling. “Chocolate, yes. Coffee. And sushi, I haven’t had good sushi since I left Culver.”

“Great. Our first date will have… all of those things.” He looked down at her, and this time his fingertips traced around the curve of her ear, left exposed by her ponytail.

“Okay. Now… What’s this about Darcy and time travel?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous:  
> Tony/Jane “I need you to pretend we’re dating…”


	198. Natasha/Fury

Natasha didn’t fidget. She absolutely didn’t- if the impulse had ever been there, it had been made to disappear like so many other bad habits. But times like these, she  _wanted_  to. Something. Anything to help relieve the tedium.

Weddings were… A necessary evil. Since Darcy had become a good friend through sheer force of will on the other woman’s part, and Sam was also someone she considered a friend, it was necessary that she be there.

She didn’t have to like it. And she certainly didn’t have to participate in the  _chicken dance_ \- she was about 95% sure that had been Sam’s idea. 

At least the couple had enough taste to have a good bar. She sipped her drink, eyes locked on where Sam and Darcy were laughing together on the dance floor. They were happy, that was all that mattered.

Natasha’s eyebrow arched at the sight of the man dressed all in black walking towards her. He was wearing a suit, it seemed, and dark sunglasses that completely obscured his eyes. He took the chair next to her without a word.

“You know, I think I liked the eyepatch better,” she said, her gaze moving critically over him.

“The bride said the same thing. Mentioned she’d been hoping there would be a pirate at her wedding.” There was a wry expression on his face as he looked over at her. “You’re not dancing? I seem to remember you like dancing.”

“Not to the chicken dance, no.”

Fury got to his feet, hands clasped loosely behind his back. “Would you care to dance?”

She knew what he was asking. Her eyes fastened on his hands- she’d always loved his hands. They were strong hands, capable of killing, capable of bringing exquisite pleasure. “I’d love to.” She stood as well, abandoning her drink on the ground by her feet. Someone would pick it up.

His hand brushed against the small of her back as they slipped out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 22) two miserable people meeting at a wedding au


	199. Natasha/Thor

Natasha came to, but stayed right where she was, cracking an eye open to assess the situation. She was on her back on a hard floor- concrete. The walls were transparent, and given who the large man pacing along one of the walls was, they were probably in the exact type of “cell” Fury had rigged up for the Hulk.

They hadn’t met. Clint had… Worked with him was the wrong phrase, but Clint had respected him.

Her head hurt- blunt-force trauma, and the cause of her unconsciousness. Her arm hurt- a graze from a gunshot, bandaged tightly. Had Thor done that?

He seemed to sense that she was awake. She’d very carefully not made any noise, but he turned towards her anyway. “Did you bandage my arm?” she asked, sitting up slowly to let her body adjust to the new position.

He nodded, his eyes moving over her like he was examining her for further injury. “I don’t know where we are.”

“Me neither.” She was sitting cross-legged, and she scooted back so that the wall was supporting her. “Did they say anything?”

“No.” He looked angry, his eyes looked like there was an actual storm brewing behind them, dark and ominous.

She sent him a soothing smile. She knew what he was capable of, she’d heard about the weather phenomena he’d caused in New Mexico. Clint wasn’t given to exaggeration, not with her. He needed to calm down.

Natasha pulled herself to her feet and moved over to him, walking slowly so she wouldn’t jar her head. “Hey,” she said, voice soft and low as she rested her hand on his arm. “We’ll figure this out.” Soft and unthreatening, she was good at that.

It worked. His hand came to cover hers for a moment, and some of the darkness left his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous:  
> 37) meeting in prison au


	200. Sam/Fury

Sam tugged at his suit jacket. He wasn’t uncomfortable, not exactly, he just didn’t know very many of the other people at the party, and the masks didn’t exactly say ‘approachable.’

Natasha had suggested a plain black mask for him, but there was something about her smile when she’d suggested it that had screamed ‘ulterior motive.’ And when he’d brought it up with Steve, his friend had basically confirmed that Natasha was probably trying to set him up with someone.

He’d gone for the plain black mask anyway, in satin, and asked Steve for tips on how to gently rebuff anyone the super assassin sent his way. He wasn’t looking, not really, and she probably didn’t know what his type was, anyway.

Sam picked up his empty glass and headed over to the bar for a refill. He lingered there with his new drink, leaning back against the solid wood counter and letting his eyes move around the room, assessing.

His eyes widened, surprised, at the sight of the tall man walking towards him. They’d met… Once? The last he’d heard, the other man had been headed out of the country.

He pointedly wasn’t wearing a mask, just a pair of dark sunglasses with an extremely well-fitting black suit. “Fury,” Sam greeted.

“Wilson.” He didn’t exactly sound pleased to be there, although Sam didn’t know him well enough to ask why he was there if he didn’t want to be. Nick Fury didn’t strike him as the type of man to get caught doing too many things he didn’t specifically want to do.

Fury ordered his own drink, then settled back against the bar beside Sam. “I’m here as a favor to a friend,” he said. “She said I owed her. I probably do.”

Sam couldn’t help but smile. Maybe Natasha knew his type after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blogdwayneblog:  
> 24) meeting at a masquerade ball au


End file.
